Broken souls
by ultron emperor
Summary: They are broken, unable to help themselves or be helped by those who care about them. But maybe...just maybe ... they'll be able to help each other.
1. Chapter 1

**I started to ship Accelerator and Mugino Shizuri after reading the sixth volume of the NT Novel.**

**This story is like a " love letter" to both of them.**

**I'm Italian, so I apologize for all the grammatical errors you will find.**

**I don not own To Aru Majutsu No Index and To Aru Kagaku No Railgun, all rights belong to Kazuma Kamachi.**

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There are two types of people. Those who sit on the sofa and watch a documentary to learn something about nature ... and five minutes later they are terrified and shout to the director to drop the equipment and save the poor zebra from the attack of the hyenas ... And the others. Those who understand ... and accept. Those who know that nature is like this ... that the world is like this. That somewhere in the world, every second ... the same story is repeated. The brutal cycle of life. Of the predator and of the prey. Animals ... who do everything to survive.

Accelerator, Gakuen Toshi's most powerful Level 5 esper, belonged to the latter: the predators ... the hunters. No one knew what his real name was, which is why people simply called him by the title he received from the research centers where he spent most of his life. He was the best at what he did ... but sometimes he was right to doubt it.

After all, his story would have raised several eyebrows.

Accelerator had been taken to the Academic City at a young age, when his powers had just been discovered.

In fact, it possessed a unique ability compared to those of all the other espers: vector manipulation.

Every single type of vector on the planet, direction, movement, momentum, electricity, heat ... Whatever had a direction was completely under his control. Using simpler terms ... He was an "untouchable" person.

However, precisely because of this power, people begun to fear him.

Years later, his unique ability had made him the object of an experiment to try to create the first Level 6 esper in history. According to the best supercomputer of the Academic City, Tree Diagram, this venture could only be achieved by killing 128 Level 5 espers, without a single mistake.

Since there were only six other Level 5 known in the Academic City, an alternative plan to "level up" was formed, which consisted of Accelerator killing 20,000 Level 3 Esper: the clones of the Railgun Mikoto Misaka, the third most powerful esper of Gakuen Toshi.

Accelerator joined the experiment with pleasure, determined to gain a reputation that would make him the most powerful and feared human on the planet, so that no one would be foolish enough to challenge him or try to kill him anymore.

All because he wanted to pursue a peaceful life free from the constant possibility that he would be attacked.

The experiment, however, came to an abrupt conclusion after the Level 5 had already killed as many as 10,000 clones, due to the intervention of Misaka Mikoto and Kamijou Touma, an espert whose ability was to cancel the abilities of others.

The couple managed to defeat Accelerator after a long and brutal battle, which led to the closure of the Level 6 project.

Embittered by this turn of events, the albino had returned to everyday life. Fate, however, had other plans in mind for that unusual boy.

The possibility of redemption appeared before him in the form of a new knowledge: a child of about ten years named Last Order, the last clone of the Misaka project, now gone bankrupt.

During their meeting, Last Order was kidnapped by one of the scientists who had carried out the experiment, Amai Ao, intending to infect the girl with a computer virus to take revenge on Gakuen Toshi.

Accelerator discovered that this virus would infect the entire Misaka Network via Last Order and, on the advice of its legal guardian, Yoshikawa Kikyou, he decided to try to save her to compensate for all the pain he caused to the Railgun's clones.

During the process of saving the child and all the clones of the Network, however, Amai fired at Accelerator, which lowered his defenses to focus on Last Order.

The Level 5, however, managed to save the girl, reporting severe injuries to the brain system, thus losing the ability to use 100% his power and the ability to move freely. From that moment on, in fact, to be able to walk he was forced to use a crutch.

Thanks to the help of a doctor, however, the Level 5 managed to recover some of his faculties, using the Misaka Network through an electrode system that from then on began to wear around his neck.

Tired of fighting, the albino agreed to take care of Last Order and become his guardian, and then move to the home of Yoshikawa and his friend, Yomikawa Ahoi.

Currently, the Level 5 was four hundred and fifty meters from a target, in the famous shooting range of Gakuen Toshi.

On the white pole planted in the grass next to him was marked the number 44 and the same number was repeated at the top of the mound of land behind the only target, a square about two meters on the side that at that distance, and in the haze of the Late spring, it looked no bigger than a postage stamp.

But the Level 5 telescope, a Sniperscope with infrared lenses attached to the barrel of his rifle, framed the entire lens. He could even clearly distinguish the blue and beige colors of the target; the semicircular center of fifteen centimeters appeared similar to the crescent which, on the distant crest of the city, began to rise in a sky that was growing darker.

The teenager pushed the trigger of the weapon, and the resulting shot echoed throughout the length of the polygon, causing him to wince inwardly.

Believe it or not, they shot him a lot times. A LOT.

Carabine M1. M16. M79 grenade launcher. AK-47. Luger. Walther PPK. Tommy Gun. Uzi. Carcano Bolt-Action. Howitzer. They had shot him all over.

During his early years of training, his trainer, Kihara Amata, filled him with lead. When he was ten, the army shot him with a 50-caliber machine gun for weeks and weeks.

And, as already mentioned earlier, they had also shot him in the head.

You might think that by now he was used to it. But no. However hardy one believes ... one could never get used to the sound of a firearm.

Naturally, he made sure that every single person who shot him had regretted it bitterly.

When battles like those end, at the end of all the skirmishes, the albino remained only with an undeniable truth: to kill a living being, any living being, was an unpleasant and difficult thing.

When two killers confront each other, various factors determine who will leave and who will remain lying on the ground. A killer must have a strong desire to kill his opponent. And this has it for sure.

But the thirst for blood is not enough to win. It takes something that the creature doesn't have. And it's a blind thirst for life. A will to survive so strong that it helps you take away a life to keep yours.

The killers who live to fight are not those who venerate death ... but those who love life. And basically, Accelerator had always wanted one thing: to live a normal life.

Have you ever had a recurring nightmare? Some people dream of falling by plane, drowning or being buried alive. Regardless of the dream ... you always wake up before you die. Try to imagine that same nightmare ... but do it awake. That nightmare was his life. A hundred times worse.

A constant succession of dangers and sufferings, which even in moments of apparent peace enjoyed tormenting him.

No matter how many times he saved the world ... he would always be more a killer than a hero. A destroyer rather than a savior.

He found himself cursing. This kind of holidays always managed to depress it.

Which holiday? You are wondering. Two words: Valentine's Day.

Or as he called it, "the curse of the female gender".

After all, this was how chemistry worked: on Valentine's Day women were full of endorphins and they saw everything pink, and everything was romantic. The problem was when they shed chocolates and had the collapse, while life suddenly became monotonous.

Yomikawa and Yoshikawa tried several times to organize him a date, much to the dismay of Last Order.

And he always answered the same way.

" Since St. Valentine was a Roman bishop of the third century, who was scourged and beheaded, wouldn't be more appropriate to celebrate it going to witness a brutal murder?"

And so, here he is, once again for his business, in an attempt to get away from that happy and carefree aura in which the whole city had fallen.

After finishing his shift, he put the rifle back in the polygon locker and started walking towards the city park.

That was where he usually went when he wanted to be on his own business. With luck, being Valentine's Day a working day, there would also be few children to bother him with their screams and scolding from their parents.

In fact, once arrived on the spot, he realized that the area was practically uninhabited, if not for a couple of mothers trying to control a couple of young espers who would throw balls of sand using Telekinesis.

With a satisfied sigh, the Level 5 proceeded to sit on one of the many benches circumnavigating the public area and sat slumped on the back for about half an hour.

At least until an unpleasant smell invaded his nostrils, forcing him to open his eyes.

A few steps from the bench, in fact, there was a street cleaner smoking a cigarette, while inflated the cans and debris that the cleaning robots could not reach in the flower beds.

Accelerator snapped his tongue, visibly irritated.

" Ehi, here there are people who like to breathe" He said in a high and scratchy voice, attracting the man's attention.

" What ?" the man asked, with an arched eyebrow.

" I understand that for you that shit may seem like fresh air ..." the esper continued, pointing to the cigarette. "But you know what that stuff can do to you? It's written right on the back! Perhaps the phrase "It's harmful to your health" makes you laugh. But what it should say is ... that the butts can cause cancer of the nose, mouth, salivary glands, pharynx, throat, esophagus, kidneys, pancreas ... even to parts of the body that you'd rather not think about. And it's just the beginning! Emphysema, chronic bronchitis, heart disorders, melanomas and carcinomas ... not to mention how they reduce hearing, sight, skin, fingers and hair. Even if it doesn't seem to me that you care a lot about your appearance. Cigarettes should be called "coffin nails" because this stuff ... kills you, "he whispered coldly, startling the street sweeper.

He swallowed frightened and proceeded to move away quickly.

Accelerator released a sigh.

Maybe was too hard with that man. After all, he was just a person who was doing a public service.

"Tsk ... I'm such an asshole" he muttered to himself.

Then, a female voice surprised him behind.

" Self-loathing doesn't suit you"...

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" Valentine's Day was invented to make those who are not a perfect couple feel like shit."

These were the thoughts that lingered in the mind of Mugino Shizuri, the fourth Level 5 of Gakuen Toshi, as she made her way through the numerous couples occupying the pedestrian overpass.

After all, what was Valentine's Day, if not a succession of broken hopes, hurt feelings and broken relationships?

It was a day full of bitter disappointments in which it was easy to take advantage of those who were vulnerable and alone.

While someone continued to languish for a great unrequited love, others could not help thinking that they had been cheated. It would have been nice to believe that for most of the people Valentine's Day ended with a positive note, but Mugino knew that it was much more likely to find himself with a broken heart

And maybe nobody knew it better than her. A girl who had never been able to undertake a romantic relationship that lasted more than a few weeks.

" But, in the end…" she muttered to herself, " I suppose I deserve it".

Karma could be a real shit.

Daughter of a rich family, Mugino Shizuri came to Gakuen Toshi when she was only ten years old. Her parents immediately enrolled her in the esper research program, which she managed to climb in a short time, until she became the fourth most powerful Level 5 in the city.

His ability was to create and manipulate electromagnetic energy and plasma to create powerful enough rays to destroy an armored tank within seconds.

With the nickname of Meltdowner, the girl soon became one of the most infamous characters of Gakuen Toshi, a pragmatic and ruthless person who always aimed at the best, always reaching the summit. She hated to lose, and anyone who tried to fight her always faced a creepy end.

When she was only fifteen, she created her own assault team, the ITEM, with which she began to perform various jobs for the Dark Side of Academy City.

And it went on for years, until one of the most devastating events ever faced by the urban complex took place: the Battle Royale among the various organizations of Gakuen Toshi, in which Kakine Teitoku and Accelerator were also involved, respectively the second and the first most powerfull Level 5 of the whole Esper community.

During that time, the defeat of Mugino by the hand of Kakine left the girl in a deep state of amger and obsessive inferiority.

And so, in that moment of madness, she ended up killing one of the only people she considered her friend: Frenda Seivelum, a member of ITEM.

Did she feel remorse for what she did? Obviously.

But in the end, what was the remorse? Nothing but the fear of responsibility for what she did, a grave on which to cry crocodile tears.

To feel remorse for a wrong thing was better than nothing, but no remorse in hindsight could atone for the guilt of having tasted in harming, burning ants or killing people.

After recovering her sanity, she also decided to become the guardian of Frenda's sister, Fremea, in order to honor the girl's memory. But now, even such a gesture seemed empty, nothing but a good action with which she hoped to compensate for past mistakes. Nothing else ... that an escape.

She was shaken by those thoughts when her ears captured a voice she would recognize everywhere.

She turned abruptly. Accelerator, Gakuen Toshi's most powerful Level 5, was only a dozen yards away from her, sitting on a bench, conversing with a garbage collector.

She didn't see him around for a while. The last time they interacted was during their brief Team-up to defeat a vindictive Kakine Teitoku, which led them to an unusual verbal confrontation in which they admitted to each other the desire for a possible redemption.

Intrigued, she began to approach the couple to hear what they were discussing. Apparently, The Number One was scolding the man for smoking in a public park. The thing couldn't help but amuse her enormously.

Accelerator, defender of quiet? Certain things were certainly not seen every day.

Once the garbage man had gone, she proceeded to approach the albino.

She sat next to him and heard him mumble: "I'm such an asshole."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Self-loathing doesn't suit you," she murmured monotonously, drawing the attention of the esper.

He whirled around and, as his bloodshot eyes came into contact with the young woman's figure, they seemed to glow with recognition.

He stared at her for what seemed an interminable time, scrutinizing her from head to toe. Then, he replied: " Look who's talking. You look like you've just come out from a junkies conference".

"Charming as always" the girl muttered, sarcastically.

Accelerator merely shrugged.

"What can I say? Winning team doesn't change" he said in his low and scratchy voice. "Although, I admit that this kind of holidays always pull out the worst of me"

"Why? Don't you like celebrating Valentine's Day?" Mugino asked, with a knowing smile.

The Level 5 released a loud snort.

" It's a day that I despise"

" Me too. Even if being alone is practically my fault, I'm neurotic at the last stage ... and I don't have time to get treated because I'm too busy arranging the mess of others"

"I'm about to move," said Accelerator, slumping back to the bench.

Not at all influenced by the words of the esper, the girl continued to speak.

" Think, My most intimate relationship I have is with my blackbarry. And thank goodness that vibrates!" she exclaimed, arousing a small sneer by the Number One.

" At least it is not as sticky as this guy" the albino said, tapping his choker with a finger. "It never gets off of me"

Mugino smiled, apparently amused by the boy's declaration.

Then, she began to look at the device with a curious look.

" Does it ..."

" ... hurt? Not like a few months ago" Accelerator replied, sensing the question of the girl. " Here's what's good about physical pain. Once he's gone, he's gone. Even the memory goes out. Not like mental pain. That will remain with you forever"

"One thing I can sympathize with " Mugino murmured, stroking his biomechanical arm.

The albino followed her with his eyes.

"Ah, yes, I had heard about your accident. Was that Level 0, am I right?

" Yes, he was Hamazura. Not that I can make him a fault, at that time I was pretty crazy" she replied, shrugging her shoulders.

The Level 5 stared at her impassively.

"Only at that time?" He asked with a provocative grin.

In response, Mugino squeezed her eyelids and pointed a finger to his chest.

"Don't push the luck. I don't care if you're a cripple, I'll kick your ass without thinking twice"

"I'd like to see you try, bitch!" Accelerator exclaimed, his face adorned with a psychotic smile.

Perhaps a good fight would have managed to distract him from his melancholy thoughts.

To his great regret, however, the young woman just stared at him, before snort and slumped back in the bench.

The esper looked her cautiously and did the same.

They remained immersed in a comfortable silence, interrupted only occasionally by the sound of the children playing in the park and by the chattering of the couples who passed along the sidewalk.

After what seemed an interminable time, Accelerator turned his head slowly toward his partner in misfortune.

" So, why are you here? You never looked like the kind of person who would waste time in a park"

" Why shouldn't I?" the brunette muttered, without ever looking away from the sky. " It's nice to lounge in the sun and dust off the old times. Old pains and old pleasures ... It's funny how, after a while you can no longer distinguish them..."

" I have no problem to distinguish them" the albino replied, arousing a little smile by the girl.

" Yeah, you managed to drive out your demon. I, within myself, still have two conflicting entities. Sometimes it's like they ripped me in two" she whispered in a low voice.

Accelerator released an undemanding grunt.

" It is what makes you what you are. What did Arnold Schwarzenegger say? "What does not kill you only makes you stronger"?"

" He was paraphrasing Nietsche, ugly illiterate!" Mugino said, using an exasperated tone.

The Level 5 sent her a dirty look.

" I illiterate? Weren't you the one who always believed that Robert Frost was the author of "The Mist"?" he asked with a mocking smile.

Mugino's cheeks tinged slightly red.

"H-How did you find out?"

" Your brat always let slip the most interesting gossip" the albino answered, referring to Fremea. She had often come to his apartment to play with Last Order, after all.

Next to him, the brunette crossed both arms in front of her chest, visibly annoyed.

"All those poets full of wrinkles and white hair confuse me. It was Sandburg, right?"

"Right. That guy was different. Great writer, no stuff for romantic wives, " the Level 5 said, thinking back to the few times he read his work.

Mugino released a loud snort.

" Poets and writers ... like their works, I can not stand them" she mumbled in annoyance, arousing a small laugh from Accelerator.

He found that it was easy for him to talk with her, and he was surprised.

Generally with women he was taciturn and contemptuous. The long preambles of seduction bored him almost as much as the subsequent annoyance of loosing.

There was something disgusting about the inevitable trajectory of every relationship. The conventional parabola? The attraction, the hands that touch, the kiss, the passionate kiss, the bodies that feel, the climax in bed, and then again read, then less read, then the boredom, the tears and the final bitterness.

And even more, he detested the "mise en scene" of each of these acts of comedy: the meeting at a party, the restaurant, the taxi, his apartment, her apartment, then the weekend at the beach , again the respective apartments, then the stealthy alibi and the final farewell, bruised, in front of a door in the rain.

But with Mugino nothing of this could have happened.

In the tedium of the evening, her presence was almost an oasis of pleasure, a moment to relax.

In their conversation there was only understanding, with a distant background of ... friendship.

Soon they found themselves talking about the most varied subjects. How they coped with the burden of domestic life, their methods of dealing with their brats, how they were coping with their handicaps, etc.

And it all went on for almost twenty minutes. This until Mugino asked a rather uncomfortable question.

"When did you kill your first person?" she asked suddenly, surprising Accelerator.

The albino stopped suddenly, remaining motionless like a statue.

"It's none of your business," he replied coldly, turning to the girl an expression that promised death.

The other Level 5, however, seemed completely unaffected by the boy's reaction.

"I did it when I was fifteen years old" she said in a casual tone, as if she was just talking about the weather.

Accelerator remained silent for about a good minute, clutching both hands in clenched fists. He stared at the sidewalk and his eyes narrowed to a couple of slits.

"I was ten years old" he whispered in a low voice, attracting the attention of the brunette.

"Ten years old," she repeated, her lips curled into a sympathetic smile. "Too young. For some, even seventy is young."

She gave a resigned sigh and looked at the sky a second time.

"We saw too much death, we lost too many things. But however trivial it is to say, death is part of life. Even the unnatural ... even the murder

"The murder is not," Accelerator said, through his teeth.

Mugino just glanced at him sideways.

"Do you think so? I don't want to defend it, of course, but we find it in the fundamental texts of every religion. Cain kills Abel and the world knew the murder. It is as natural as dying of old age"

" Bullshit" was the abrupt declaration of the albino.

The girl shrugged.

" I don't think so. After all, my certainties in the ethical and theological field are somewhat vacillating. Therefore I rely on facts, as they appear to me. Actions speak louder than words. You know it better than others. It is for your actions that, as much as you are an asshole ... I still consider you a good person."

"Three months ago I killed twenty-seven men. There's not much to say, eh?"

"Were you angry?" the brunette asked, tilting her head slightly.

Accelerator stared at her intently and, for a moment, she found herself unable to hold back, while a shiver down her spine. He could be really scary.

" ... More than ever" the albino answered, with a cold and detached tone.

Mugino nodded concisely.

"And those men deserved your anger?

"Looking for an excuse?"

"No, I'm just trying to understand," she said in a calm, professional voice.

The Level 5 wrinkled his face in a discontented frown.

" What is there to understand? I'm a bad guy ... and the bad guys remain so, no matter the reason they use to kill " he said as if it was a universal truth.

In front of him, the girl known as Meltdowner squeezed both eyelids, scanning the teenager as if he had personally insulted her.

" Quod sum eris." she said suddenly, surprising Accelerator.

He arched an eyebrow, staring at her with an uncertain look.

" So?"

"" I am what you will be. "

"I know what it means, and I don't understand where you are try to go with this" the albino replied, visibly irritated.

Mugino sent him a mocking smile.

"It's bothering you, isn't it? I'm olderr than you, Accelerator. One could argue about how much ... but not so much that I don't know that the road ahead of you passes directly on my own roadway"

"I'm not like you," the Level 5 replied, growling through his teeth.

Mugino rolled her eyes, as if she just heard the statement of a capricious child.

" Oh, believe me, I know this well" she said in a dispassionate tone, waving his right hand contemptuously. "Throughout my life I fought against everyone and against everything just because I felt so ... important. You do it because you believe in it. How honest you are, Accelerator. I don't know yet whether to insult or hug you"

"What the fuck do you mean?" the esper hissed, grabbing her by the collar of the jacket.

Despite the aggressive action, however, Mugino didn't stop and started talking once again.

"You don't understand, do you? So you're really stupid. For all these years ... All these lives ... You think you've fought enemies. The Kihara, the Number 2 ... even that Level 0 who kicked your ass. But in all this time you were fighting only against yourself. Against your nature. Against what you are. You think something happened to you. Something that changed you ... Turning you into something else. But we both know it was not like that ... The real you has always been the same. Full of ... anger. But now ... you have to face it. You can't escape anymore. Only two streets. Life or death. Which one do you choose? So which one do you choose?" she demanded implacably, while Accelerator stared at her with barely concealed fury.

The thing seemed to satisfy Mugino, who smiled once again.

" All too easy. You softened. Once you were a killer. Now you're a dog. Housewives ... adoptive daughters ... teammates ... Where is the lone wolf? I'll tell you where: he's dead!"

Apparently, that was the last straw.

The albino pressed the choker, whose light changes from green to red in the fraction of a half second.

He jumped up, grabbing the girl by the collar and hoisting her from the bench.

The Level 5's blood-red eyes darted in the dim light of the afternoon with such intensity that, for a moment, Accelerator believed that he could incinerate the brunette simply by fixing her.

He clenched his teeth and looked her straight in her eyes, expecting even a slight hint of fear. Instead, to his surprise, Mugino's head was slightly lowered, her hair drooping and drawing soft shadows on her face.

And in the midst of all this ... shining eyes, full of tears ready to rub along the Meltdowner's cheeks. But not tears of terror or fear ... but tears full of anguish and regret.

"You're lucky, Accelerator ... very lucky," the Level 5 murmured, surprising the albino. "I don't know what I would give to get rid of that part of me. But I can't. You walked to the chasm, but you managed to get out of it. I'm still dangling over it, waiting to fall"

And, having said that, she raised her head, turning a sad smile to the boy.

" So don't try to self-pity, have I been clear? It would be an insult to me and to all those poor bastards who are in my situation" she ended with a whisper.

Accelerator didn't know what to say. Here he was expecting a fight, the beginning of a battle that would have destroyed at least half the park ... and instead he witnessed something completely different.

Mugino Shizuri, fourth Level 5, one of the most infamous people on the Dark Side of Gakuen Toshi…just bared her soul in front of him.

It made him uncomfortable. He wasn't used to dealing with other people's feelings, considering the fact that he could barely manage his own. However, he couldn't help feeling slightly touched by such a confession.

Meanwhile, the brunette begun to wipe away the tears.

"Shit, I started crying in front of a boy. I just became pathetic" she grumbled darkly, before bursting a bitter laugh.

Accelerator decided not to comment on the matter and remained completely still, his gaze fixed on the Level 5.

It was at that moment that a shocking revelation began to make its way into his brain. This girl ... actually she was just like him. Or rather, as he was when he decided to undertake his own redemption.

She was lost, scared more than she realized. For her it was a completely new, alien situation, totally out of her control ... and this terrified her.

Whenever she saw Fremea, she probably found herself facing the face of Frenda, the sister she brutally killed due to a simple outburst of anger. Exactly as he saw the faces of the Sisters whenever he met the eyes of Last Order. And that was tearing her from the inside.

After this conclusion, he slumped back on the bench and took a deep breath.

"I'll tell you a story," he said impassively, waving the young woman to sit next to him.

Mugino stared at him uncertainly, but did ass he was told.

Internally, Accelerator found himself sighing. Yes ... he became very soft, he thought with an ironic smile.

A few months ago he would have left the Number 4 to wallow in her own self-committal. Now, however, he wanted to give her the same chance that was offered to him.

"One day, a guy ends up in a well," he began quietly. " He tries and tries to get out of it, but he can't. After the third day, he gives up. He sits on the ground and waits for death to claim him. Then, suddenly, he looks up and sees a man on the edge of the well looking at him. "Help me please!" he screams. "Get me out of the well!""

He paused to catch his breath, while Mugino stared at him in bewilderment.

"The other man nods and then ... he throws himself in the well. At that point the first guy goes crazy. "Are you stupid?" he screams. "Now we're both stuck down here! We'll never get out!" The other man smiles instead. "Do not worry," he tells him. "I've already been in the well ... and I know how to get out""

And, with that said, he jumped up, hoisted himself on the crutch ... and held up his right hand in the direction of the other Level 5.

The girl stared at him in shock. She looked like a deer caught by the headlights of a car.

She looked from the stretched arm to the face of Accelerator, expecting the slightest trace of deception or mockery. And yet ... she found none.

She handed her hand forward ... but it stopped in mid-air.

There was a moment of silence, while the albino stared impassively at the girl's hanging fingers. And why should he expect something different? A brief alliance, a few meetings and a heart-to-heart conversation was all there was between them.

Why did he imagined that she too shared his wishes, his plans? The possibility of having someone to share their journey with? Someone ... who really understood him.

And now? asked Accelerator.

He shook his shoulders to free himself from the weight of disappointment, from the pain of defeat that is always so much stronger than the pleasure of success.

Now he had to get out of that girl's life and take his disappointed heart elsewhere. No regrets or unnecessary sentimentality. He had to support his part, that of the strong man, of the man who was just a villain.

She looked at him rather nervously. She seemed anxious to get rid of that teenager who tried to enter her heart.

Then, with a quick movement of her arm ... she grabbed the albino's hand.

He stared at her in surprise, while Mugino stood up from the bench with a resigned look.

Soon, that disappointed expression was replaced by a placid smile.

"You'd better take responsibility for what you just said. You shouldn't make certain promises to a girl, regardless of the consequences, "she said reproachfully.

Initially stunned, Accelerator merely rolled his eyes.

" I will take this risk" he replied amused.

He gave the brunette an embarrassed frown, his cheeks lightly dyed red.

" Do you want to have a coffee?"

"It sounds like an excellent idea," the girl replied.

Then, she leaned forward, placing a delicate kiss on the albino's cheek.

The Level 5 dilated his pupils, visibly surprised by the sudden action. He started to comment, but Mugino beat him over time, clinging to his right arm and throwing him a captivating smile.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Number One"

" Tsk ... fuck Valentine's Day"

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**All reviews are welcomed ! This could become a series of one-shot if it will recive a positive answer. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes : Since the first chapter received a good response, I decided to continue this fan fiction.**

**This chapter is a prequel to the first. New chapters will depend on the response of the public ( Reviews! ).**

**As always, I'm Italian, so I apologize for all the grammatical errors you will find ( I'm still searching for a beta reader ).**

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**XXXX**

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**8 years before...**

Expectations: small or large, everyone has some. A future as a champion, becoming president ... they come in all shapes and colors.

Some of these expectations are realized ... others, instead, remain disappointed. We cannot avoid having them, whether they give us great joy, or give us great pain.

Everyone lives on desires and expectations, even if sometimes the opposite happens to what one really wants. And Shizuri Mugino, 10 years old, knew it well.

A child prodigy and the eldest daughter of a wealthy high society family, she came to Gakuen Toshi less than a year ago.

The city, unique in its kind, constituted a huge research center for the development of humans with paranormal powers, the so-called esper.

In fact, more than 90% of the inhabitants of this urban complex were classified according to a level ranging from 0 to 5, where the title of Level 5 was reserved for the most powerful individuals.

Shizuri's parents enrolled her in the program without thinking twice, confident that their daughter would come out on top as usual.

Actually, the child was classified as Level 5 just a few days after the tests began. Her ability, known as Meltdowner, consisted of creating concentrated neutrino rays powerful enough to destroy entire armies.

However, to their great dismay, the girl's power was positioned only in second place in the list of the abilities possessed by the others Level 5 of the city, which were currently limited to three individuals:

Accelerator, Shokuhou Misaki and Sogiita Guhna.

Shizuri would never forget her parents' reaction once they received the test results. A reaction that still weighed on her heart like the blade of a guillotine about to fall.

After all, nothing hurt her and poisoned her…like seeing the disappointment on her mother and father's face.

Seeing those angry, implacable looks ... it was an unbearable pain, a vanished hope.

She felt deceived, mocked, humiliated. The victim of an injustice that she didn't expect, of a failure that she didn't deserve.

She also felt offended, ridiculous ... disappointed herself.

Of course, she knew what her father would tell her: The disappointment is the anger of the rammollites.

And she wouldn't know how to argue.

Shizuri never questioned her parents' choices, she accepted them as justified by their divine status. If they didn't talk to her, it meant that it wasn't worth it. If they didn't greet her affectionately, it meant she didn't deserve it. If they ignored her, it meant that she didn't exist. The only possibility to change their behavior was to control her own.

Perhaps she had to make herself even more tenacious, stronger, more athletic, more alert ... in short, better than anyone else.

All this filled her with a deep feeling of anger.

Why couldn't she be born into an ordinary family? Why did she have to meet expectations that weren't her?

Full by that rush of anger, she ran away from home without the knowledge of her parents, looking for a moment that she could pass alone, away from that stifling environment.

Having reached the city park, she found herself facing a red ball, apparently abandoned.

With that feeling of anger still warm in her heart, she proceeded to kick the object with a cry, in an attempt to vent a minimum of those repressed emotions. However, she never expected what would happen next.

She looked up from the ground ... and the balloon, for some absurd reason, ended up straight in her face, causing her to stumble backwards.

With the face adorned with an incredulous expression, the young Level 5 rubbed her aching cheek and looked straight ahead.

She stopped abruptly.

A few meters from her, in fact, stood the figure of the strangest child she had ever seen. Not that she had seen many, considering the limited interactions she had with her peers, but still ... she was pretty sure it wasn't normal for people to have white hair at that age.

And it wasn't just the hair! That child, who mustn't have been more than ten years old, was as pale as a sheet just out of the laundry! Hair, skin, clothes ... he was as white as snow. He looked almost like a ghost.

Shizuri heard about this kind of condition. Its name was albinism, if she didn't remember badly. It was a congenital anomaly consisting in the total or partial deficiency of melanin pigmentation in the skin, in the iris and in the choroid and in the hair, very often caused by an absence or defect of the enzyme tyrosinase, an enzyme involved in the synthesis of Melanin.

The boy was currently turned from behind, sitting comfortably on a rock bordering one of the park's flower beds. There were no other people in the area, so Shizuri deduced that he must have been the one to throw the ball in her face.

Caught up in a further fit of anger, she pointed in the direction of the albino.

"Hey, you, plebeian! What the hell are you doing ?!" she shouted loudly, her face adorned with the most furious expression she could find.

The child, however, remained perfectly still, apparently intent on enjoying the morning breeze, without even deigning to turn his gaze.

Shizuri gritted her teeth and walked with a marked step to the boy, placing herself in front of him.

" Are you deaf ? I'm talking to you!" she growled in a threatening tone.

It was in that moment that she realized that the strange child had his eyes closed. When he opened them, Shizuri found herself looking into a pair of menacing-looking pupils, red as blood.

Unknowingly, she took a step backwards.

Meanwhile, the albino started staring at her strangely.

" Eh? What the fuck do you want?" he asked in a low, gratifying voice, as unusual as his own appearance.

Shizuri opened her mouth, visibly shocked by a similar lack of respect.

She quickly shook her head and angrily stared at the stranger.

" How... how ... how dare you?! Do you know who I am?"

"... A brat who had menstruation before her time?" the boy said rhetorically, in a bored tone.

Shizuri froze. She didn't know what menstruation was, even though she had heard some older women utter that word ... but she was pretty sure that was an insult!

"Ugly ... ugly ..." she muttered with her head lowered, both hands clenched in fists.

" Ugly, rude peasant! This is not how you talk to a girl! Especially if she's socially superior to you!" she exclaimed suddenly, receiving in exchange an impassive expression.

" Ok, first of all ... girl? You're a child, just like me. Secondly ... who tells you that my social class is inferior to yours? You don't even know me" the albino observed.

Shizuri raised her nose in the air, folding her arms in front of her.

" Mph! Child in the body, but not in the mind" she replied in an arrogant tone. " However... well..."

Actually, that strange child had a point. She didn't know him, and for this reason she could have been wrong.

But she certainly wouldn't given him the satisfaction of having the last word!

" However, it's obvious that I am superior. You are in front of Mugino Shizuri, the Meltdowner!" she said with a victorious smile, pointing a finger in the direction of the albino. " Exactly, I am the strongest Esper of Gakuen Toshi!"

She expected a lot of things. Surprise ... fear ... maybe a little admiration. The child, however ... remained completely indifferent to that statement.

Then, slowly, he pursed his lips in an apparently amused smile.

"Oh, really? Well, I'd get my hat off, if I had one, princess. Nevertheless, I know that the Number One esper is another ..." he commented with a scornful tone.

Shizuri raised an eyebrow.

" What do you mean ..."

But, just before she could finish the sentence, the albino that was in front of her just a moment before ... disappeared instantly.

She heard a rustling behind her, accompanied by a presence that made her jump.

" I am Accelerator" the voice of the child whispered, warm and graceful on the tip of the ear. " Nice to meet you"

"!"

Upon hearing those words, the little Level 5 turned abruptly and took a leap backwards, staring at the boy with a slight ounce of fear.

After all, she knew that name very well. Accelerator, the esper who had the ability to control vectors, or whatever had a mass and a direction. And he was also the one who usurped the title that belongs her by right: that of Most Powerful Level 5 of Gakuen Toshi.

" Well? Did the cat eat your tongue?" the albino asked, staring intently at her.

Recovering an ounce of courage, Shizuri violently slammed one foot against the ground.

" I don't believe you! Demonstrate it to me!" she shouted angrily, trying to hide her uncertainty.

The renowned Accelerator rolled his eyes, as if he had already heard those words at least a million times.

" All right. Pull that ball against me" he said pointing to the same ball that a few minutes before ended up in the Meltdowner's face.

"What?" She asked, staring at him strangely.

The albino crossed both arms in front of him.

" You got it right. Do it " he ordered in a firm voice.

With uncertainty, Shizurì grabbed the object from the ground and turned it over in her hands. She looked up at the boy and he just looked back.

Then, the desire to put that rude person in his place got the better of her.

By putting all the strength she was capable of, the Level 5 threw the ball directly into the face of the albino.

However, just before the object could make contact with the body of the alleged Accelerator ... it was sent back, against Shizuri's stomach.

The little girl fell to hold with a loud thud, releasing a groan of pain.

Before she could get up, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her and a shadow dominated her. Opening her eyes, she discovered that he was the albino.

"Now do you understand, Princess?" He asked in a teasing tone.

Shizuri struggled to her feet and stared at the boy with a much more cautious look.

" ... so it's you ... you're really Accelerator ..." she muttered surprise. After all, she knew the technique that the little boy just used against her: a vector shield. Everything that came into contact was readily reflected against the opponent, no matter how powerful the attack was. Evidently, when a few minutes before she kicked the ball, the object in question ended up directly against the child's back, whose shield sent it back to her face.

Shaking her head from those mental digressions, Shizuri curled her face in a confident expression and pointed toward the albino a second time.

" That doesn't matter, you still remain a commoner! And you even made me fall!" she exclaimed in an indignant tone, surprising Accelerator. "And since you soiled my dress, now you have to compensate me!"

In response, the other Level 5 stared at her impassively.

"... are you ... are you kidding me, right?"

" Absolutely not!" the girl replied, as she began to look around.

" Mph ... in general, the compensation is provided in money, but I doubt that a beggar like you owns even a thousand yen. Then you will repay me ... with that ball" she said pointing to the object that was now in the hands of the albino. "Give it to me!"

"…No" Accelerator replied, not at all influenced by the words of the Meltdowner.

Shizuri growled angrily.

" Obey, it's an order!"

" An order? Look, princess, it doesn't work like that here. Here no one commands, and if you want something ... well, you have to earn it" the child continued, with a smile suddenly much more sadistic.

The other Level 5 began to scrutinize him with suspicion.

" So what ?"

" I propose you a challenge. If you win, you'll get my ball, but if I win ... well, we'll decide what to do later" the albino said, throwing the leather ball in the air a couple of times. " Do you know how to play soccer?"

" Pfeh, of course I know how to play soccer. However, I am a girl of high lineage, I certainly don't go down to play it with the rabble" she stated with a superior tone, while she crossed both arms in front of her a second time.

Accelerator chuckled, apparently amused by such a statement.

" As you wish, then you'll not have this ball. Looks like you are too afraid to compare yourself with the Number One ... Number Two"

That last word was enough to stop Shizuri's thoughts. The Level 5 turned her head toward Accelerator with almost mechanical movements and stared at him with a look that promised death.

A small vein began to throb on the girl's forehead as she gritted her teeth and turned completely to face the albino.

" You ... I don't allow an ugly plebeian, dirty and rude, to call me **Number Two**" she growled in a low and dangerous voice, while she took a few steps forward and stopped just a few centimeters from the challenger.

"Do you think you are so strong? I'll show you who the Esper Number One is. I accept your challenge!" she exclaimed emphatically, pointing him for the third time.

Internally, Accelerator found himself rolling his eyes due to the overly dramatic statement.

"Very well," he muttered, bored, then turned to a pair of trees that bordered the park. " Those two trees over there will be the door. The rules are simple: you have to score at least one goal in less than ten minutes. If you succeed..you win. Is that clear?"

" Very clear. I guess you'll defend the door, right? Perfect, I bet you're not that great. After all, you're so skinny "she said in a smug voice, as she took note of the child's lean build.

If possible, the smile on Accelerator's face grew even bigger as he dropped the ball.

With a quick movement of the foot, he intercepted it in mid-air, hoisting it a few meters to make it fall back on the tip, repeating the thing three times. Then, he leaned forward, grabbing it with the back of his neck and making it fall back to the ground, under the astonished gaze of Mugino.

The Level 5 signaled her to come closer, and the child didn't have to repeat it twice.

With a battle cry, Shizuri threw herself towards the albino, trying to steal the ball from her opponent.

Accelerator, almost casually, dribbled her, while the Meltdowner stared at him.

The esper continued to address her with an amused smile, which further infuriated the brunette.

She launched herself towards the albino with renewed ferocity, increasing the intensity of each attack. Her attempts to steal the ball from the feet of Accelerator served nothing, he merely dodged every shot, grabbing some occasional dribble to further taunt her.

After almost eight minutes, the situation remained the same. Shizuri gritted her teet, while a pair of green spheres materialized behind her.

In front of her, the Number One put a finger in front of her face,

" Ah, ah, no powers, princess. They are not allowed in soccer, remember?" he said in a teasing voice "What's the problem? Are you saying that without them you are not able to defeat an ugly commoner, dirty and rude like me?"

The Meltdowner squeezed both eyes and proceeded to undo the spheres.

By now, the situation was critical. She would never admit it, but Accelerator was surprisingly good, despite his apparently subdued appearance.

At this rate she would never be able to score ...

Then, as if from nowhere, a bizarre and mischievous idea began to make its way into the mind of the esper.

She swallowed internally, digging into her memory and taking note of all those times when she saw the schoolgirls of her school do the exact same thing to obtain the unwavering loyalty of the males. A technique as infallible as dangerous, difficult to practice and with uncertain results.

"Now or never," she whispered to herself.

Then, she walked up to the albino, as he prepared to counter another of her attacks.

However, to his surprise, the little girl stopped right in front of him ... and slowly lowered her eyes.

She held her lower lip forward, as she began to nibble on the upper one. She put both hands on the skirt of the dress and began to stretch the fabric with uncertain movements, while, with larger and much more shiny eyes than Accelerator remembered, she began to stare intensely at the albino. At the same time, the girl's cheeks turned red.

"Hey, Number One ... did anyone ever tell you that you're really cute?" she whispered in a sweet and gentle voice, tilting her head slightly to give the final blow.

The Level 5's reaction was instantaneous. He blushed deeply, stumbling backwards. No female had ever approached him this way ... he was completely unprepared!

That was all Shizuri needed. With a victorious smile, she took advantage of the temporary distraction of the albino to steal the ball, and threw a powerful kick to the object.

The training she had been through to improve her meltdowner's manual eye coordination helped her to take aim. For this reason, the ball went through the space between the two trees that served as a door without any problems.

" Yes! I win !" she exclaimed happily, as she jumped into the air with her right arm raised to the sky.

A few steps away from her, Accelerator looked at her incredulously, before curling his face into an angry frown.

" Of course you did, you cheated!" he said accusingly, pointing to the girl.

Shizuri just turned around with a mischievous smile, tilting her head innocently.

"What are you talking about? You are the one who was distracted. I simply exploited your weakness, that's all. There is no writing anywhere that it's forbidden to compliment the adversary, after all" she continued in a smug tone. "I won, and that's all that matters, so I deserve the prize"

" Tch ... it was just luck!" the other retorted, with a loud snort.

The Meltdowner shrugged.

"What can I say? This is the harsh law of the goal: you can make a great game but if you don't have the defense the others score"

" ... You copied this from a song, I'm pretty sure. In any case, you were just lucky, but next time ..."

" Next time?" the girl asked suddenly, staring at him with a surprised look.

Realizing what he just said, Accelerator dilated his pupils, before closing his face in his usual bored expression.

"No, nothing, pretend I didn't say anything," he muttered lowly, as he proceeded to retrieve the ball.

Shizuri looked at him uncertainly. She seemed much more agitated than she was before.

"Well ... I ..." she muttered, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Yes, I ... I can ... come back ... tomorrow. Can I?" she asked in a little voice.

"Uh?" was all that Accelerator managed to say, as he turned to her with an unreadable expression.

The Meltdowner released a seemingly resigned sigh.

" Listen ... it's not easy to explain, but ... how can I say it ... I don't have many friends" she admitted with a slightly ironic tone. " Usually my parents let me interact only with high-ranking children, and they are ... rather boring. I haven't really enjoyed myself for a long time"

And, with that said, she nodded to herself and smiled trustingly.

"So…yeah, I'll be back tomorrow" she stated as a fact, before throwing a cold glance at the albino. " If you tell someone what I just confessed…I'll kill you"

In response, the other Level 5 just snorted.

" You don't have to worry about that. I have nobody, after all" he muttered, annoyed.

Despite that, however ... he found himself smiling imperceptibly. Not a sadistic or mocking smile ... but a true, genuine smile.

Shizuri blushed further.

" O-ok, t-then…see you tomorrow" she stammered, turning to hide her embarrassment.

Just before she could take even one step, however, the distinctive sound of a thunder echoed along the length of the park, forcing her to stop.

And then, as soon as she looked up, the first drops began to trickle down her face. They became more and more intense, until they became a real rain.

With a resigned sigh, she noticed that her clothes were quickly soaking.

"Wonderful, if I go home like this my parents will kill me," she muttered bitterly. As if this day couldn't get any worse.

Suddenly, the rain stopped abruptly.

Shizuri raised an eyebrow. No ... the rain didn't stopped at all. She could clearly see it in front of her. It almost seemed as if it stopped just where she was.

She looked up ... and was amazed by what she saw.

Accelerator was a few inches from her, with her hand stretched over her head. Almost as if an invisible shield enveloped the entire figure of the albino, the drops of water bounced in mid-air before they could touch him. And now, the same thing was happening to her.

In that moment, Shizuri understood what was happening. Accelerator, Gakuen Toshi's most powerful esper ... was using his powers to act as an umbrella.

She stared at him with warm, shiny eyes, while he looked away with a slight blush.

" Don't get strange ideas ... consider it my way to repay you for a decent game" he said with contemptuous tone. " I'll take you home, just show me the way"

The Meltdowner, initially surprised by such an order, pursed her lips in a little smile.

Then, she began to walk, quickly followed by the fellow Level 5.

They remained in a comfortable silence for the duration of the journey, accompanied only by the pleasure of each other's company. Unconsciously, Shizuri finds herself admiring the landscape that surrounded them, a world in which she could observe the beauty of the rain without having to worry about the pouring water that hung over them.

After about half an hour, they arrived at the little girl's home, a large villain located at the entrance of one of the richest neighborhoods in the city.

They walked to the door and the Level 5 rang the bell that preceded the entrance to the mansion.

To open them was an elderly man, apparently in his sixties, whose right eye was adorned with a glass monocle. His name was Sebastian, and he was the butler of the Mugino family.

" Ah, young lady, you are back. Your parents were very worried" he said with a tone of relief, before casting a curious glance towards Accelerator.

The little girl blushed slightly and turned to the albino, giving him a quick bow.

" Thanks for the nice day, Number One. You're not so bad ... even if you are a commoner" she murmured with a smile.

The other Level 5 returned the gesture and, after greeting her casually, he proceeded to move away from the house.

Shizuri looked at him melancholy, until he disappeared from view. Then, after taking a deep breath, she entered the mansion and followed Sebastian to the room that was the heart of the house.

Her parents were waiting for her.

Suoichiro Mugino was a tall, well-placed man with a waxed mustache, dressed elegantly in black clothes and with a resolute look. Mina Mugino, on the other hand, was practically an adult version of Shizuri, with long wavy and brown hair, a sumptuous purple silk dress and matching heeled shoes.

Sebastian approached them and whispered something in the man's ear, before taking his leave.

As soon as the couple turned their attention to Shizuri, the young esper tried to look as sorry as possible.

" Mother, father ... I am sorry to worried you" she started with an apologetic tone, making a reverence.

Her parents, however, remained firm and impassive, staring coldly at her.

"Who was that child you brought before our door?" Suoichiro asked, with a tone of voice that didn't reveal the slightest sign of hostility.

The Level 5 dilated her pupils.

" Oh… he is Accelerator, the strongest esper of the city" she muttered embarrassed, aware that the question of the Level 5's ranking was still a delicate subject.

On hearing these words, Mina curled her face in a decidedly more hostile expression.

"So it's because of that lab rat if you've been rated so low." she hissed in disgust.

Shizuri winced in surprise.

" I'm not THAT low, I'm at the second pla ..."

" Too low for a member of our family. We always aim for the best, remember it, Shizur" Suoichiro replied coldly, while his wife nodded in agreement.

In front of them, the Level 5 swallowed hard.

"Yes, father," she stammered in submission.

For a mere moment, the child thought that she could leave only with a reprimand. Nothing but a small price to pay for what she earned today. Unfortunately, his father's subsequent declaration was quick to break even that brief moment of hope.

" I don't want you to see that boy anymore" the man said coldly.

Time seemed to stop. An inexorable silence seemed to fall into the depths of the room, accompanied by a sense of resignation.

Shizuri looked up and stared at the parent in disbelief.

"What? But ..."

"No " but". That freak brought shame on our family's name, and joining such a person is the last thing I want for my daughter" he continued, relentless, as if the simple notion was an insult.

The young Level 5 remained still and motionless. Then, after almost half a minute, she wrinkled her hands in tight fists.

"No!" she exclaimed loudly, surprising her parents.

" What?" the father asked, squeezing both eyelids.

Shizuri, realizing what she said, appealed to every ounce of courage in her body.

" He ... he's my friend! Today we played together…and we had fun! I will not allow you to ..."

Shortly before she could finish the sentence, however, she received a slap on the face from the man, who made her back off.

Unable to utter a word, Shizuri slowly put a hand on her face, on the exact spot where she was hit.

With tears in her eyes, she swallowed a second time and bowed her head.

" I'm sorry, mother, father ... it was a deplorable behaviour" she muttered in a trembling voice.

In front of her, Suoichiro nodded with satisfaction.

"Make sure that it never happens again. Tonight you'll go to bed without dinner, and from tomorrow I don't want to hear about that kid anymore, have I been clear?"

"Yes ... father" was the silent response of the child.

Then, the man and the woman proceeded to leave the room, leaving her alone.

As bitter tears began to slide down her face, Shizuri glanced quickly at the ceiling, almost as if she wanted to curse the sky itself.

" I'm sorry, Accelerator" she whispered to herself, with a resigned voice.

The next day, a certain albino would have passed through the same park where they arranged to meet, not finding her. He would waited for her all the day, in vain.

Disappointed and bitter, he would then return to the research center that he now considered as a home, and after a few years he would forget about that meeting.

The memory of that white-haired child would also fade from Shizuri's mind.

But fate has mysterious ways of bringing people together. And after almost ten years, that unusual pair of Level 5 would have crossed paths with each other once again ...

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**XXXX**

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**.**

**.**

**.**

**So, here are some clarifications. **

**Kakine and Mikoto had not yet arrived at Gakuen Toshi, so Mugino is the second most powerful Level 5.**

**Accelerator uses several typical soccer moves, complete with associated position, during the anime and the novel, which is why I always thought he played it.**

**All reviews are welcomed !**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes : And here I am, with another chapter of this story!**

**I decided to end it, thanks to your support. It will probably be seven to eight chapters long, I want to deal with the relationship between Accelerator and Mugino in the most realistic way possible.**

**I'm really happy that this couple was appreciated by the fandom, at first I didn't expect it. And here I would like to focus on one thing.**

**Guys, writers of , if you are really starting to love the Accelerator x Mugino as I do, I invite you to write a fan fiction about them, it doesn't matter if it will be a simple one-shot or a long one.**

**I'm not English, so I can't fully express the potential of these two Level 5s (at least not on this site), but you can. As you certainly understood from this long, these two characters have a lot in common and their interactions have a lot of potential.**

**Moreover, despite being wonderful characters, their fan fictions are very few compared to characters like Touma and Mikoto. They deserve better!**

**Also, I invite you to go through my deviant art account, where I post fan comics and fan art about them.**

**Recently I started a new comic about them: akusenpai/art/You-melted-my-heart-Page-1-795437972**

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**XXXX**

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**Chapter 3**

_**Come to Gakuen Toshi!** _says the brochure presenting the most technologically advanced city on the entire planet.

The sun is shining, people are welcoming and cherry plantations stretch as far as the eye can see. Jobs abound, and land is cheap. Each student can have his own home, and, in that home, a typical happy Japanese family.

You can have all this, and who knows ... you could even be discovered, become a high level esper, or at least approach one!

Life is beautiful in Gakuen Toshi, it is a paradise on earth. At least, this is what they tell you, because they sell you an image. They sell it to you through flyers, radio and television. For the people who live there, the public offices of Gakuen Toshi are the maximum efficiency.

Yes, one would think that this is the earthly paradise ... but there is a stain in this paradise, and it's its Dark Side.

At the top of this city, there are ... them: the Level 5s. The most powerful espers in the city, led by the boy known as Accelerator.

That July morning, the albino was in a family restaurant, enjoying his daily cup of coffee.

He wasn't wearing anything too distinctive. Only a white shirt with gray stripes, accompanied by a pair of ash-colored jeans, perfectly adherent to his incredibly thin and thin build.

In his right hand, instead, he held the inevitable crutch that he always carried with him, inside which a hidden rifle was contained.

On the whole, he seemed anything but a person with whom no one in his right mind would ever try to fight**.** And it was precisely because of this reason that a group of Level 0s decided to abandon the security of their daily routine to attempt an offensive against the one who bore the title of " The Strongest", inside Gakuen Toushi.

While he was sipping his coffee, the albino noticed the group of delinquents surrounding his table.

They all had a rather ordinary appearance, often found in the various gangs that raged around populated centers throughout Japan, and they were armed with objects ranging from the most common baseball bats to the most threatening switchblade knives.

After taking another sip of coffee, the teenager met the eyes of the various espers.

" This is what I call the speech. It's the only one I got and I only give it once, so pay attention" he said in a deadly calm voice, squeezing both his eyelids. " Until now, it's all been all fun and games, knife and pocket money, victim and bully. Now…you are in the shit . And you have two choices" he continued, raising his right hand and raising his forefinger and ring finger.

" Choice one: you attack me. I'll cut you to pieces. I will leave you on this floor, destroyed and creeping, no longer proud, ready to barter honor for a shred of mercy ... To live impoverished, weakened, crushed under the sole of my shoe. It could be this way. Or, choice number two: you leave, and I'll continue to drink my coffee" he ended coldly.

Upon hearing these words, many of the gang members began to get nervous and gave each other uncertain looks. Evidently, they were considering whether the game was really worth the candle.

A rather massive boy, probably the leader, stepped forward, his lips curled into an arrogant smile.

" We have the numerical superiority, and we are aware of your… condition" he declared as a fact, indicating the electrode that stood out on the boy's neck. " If we defeat you, we'll show everyone that we Level 0s are more than capable of facing high-level espers. Why should we give up a similar opportunity?" he asked rhetorically, receiving nods of assent from the rest of his partners.

Accelerator, however, merely shrugged.

" Because certain roads should not be traveled. Because the maps once said "**there are dragons here**". Now they don't say it, but it doesn't mean that the dragons aren't there" he said with a barely audible whisper, which sent a shiver down the backbones of the group.

He got up from his seat, took a step towards the gang and they backed up almost automatically.

" Now I'll tell you what will happen: I'll finish my coffee, and you can go back to rob the old ladies or throw eggs on the headmaster's house, I don't care. And over the years you'll look at each other and know that you are not in a coma because you chose not to go down a certain road on a certain morning. Because you chose to walk in the light, instead of into the darkness" he ended in a casual tone, taking another quick sip of his drink.

An inexorable silence seemed to fall in the restaurant.

The various Level 0s looked at each other with uncertain looks and began to whisper between them. For a moment, Accelerator thought he avoided a possible nuisance.

This until the leader of the group, noting the growing insecurity of his subordinates, decided to launch himself with a cry towards the adolescent, armed with a bat.

Accelerator remained still, while the object was about to hit him. Then, just a couple of seconds later, the Level 0's body was thrown out several meters away, going straight into a column.

At the same time, the bat crashed into something invisible, just before it could even touch the body of the albino. It was the same power that the Level 5 used against thousands of previous opponents. But what was that mysterious force?

The answer was simpler than anyone could have initially thought: Accelerator, the strongest Level 5, could control vectors. Kinetic energy, movement, momentum, electricity, heat ... He could manipulate anything that had a direction, a power that made him virtually untouchable. Some thought he was even invincible, and they wouldn't have been so far from the truth.

With an irritated sigh, the albino turned his attention to the suddenly terrified Level 0s, and cracked his neck.

" I hate to waste a good coffee"

The first punch of the boy ended up straight against the face of the nearest henchman, sending him bumping into the window of the room.

One of the other thugs tried to move away, but Accelerator was quick to hit him with a powerful kick to the jaw that, combined with an exponential increase in the kinetic energy used for the attack, sent the Level 0 through a couple of tables, to the opposite wall of the room, where he crashed with a loud thud. The same fate fell on the rest of the gang.

"I hope you have insurance on this place," Accelerator said, addressing the restaurant owner, a young woman with short blond hair and dressed in black clothes, who just arrived to stop the fight.

" By the way, the coffee was good. How much do I owe you?"

" D-don't worry, i-it's on the house" the woman stammered, arousing a fierce smile from the albino.

" How kind of you" he commented, grabbing the crutch and getting ready to leave the place.

However, just before he could do that ...

" Hey!" a sudden voice exclaimed behind him, which made the teenager's back stand upright.

It was a very familiar voice, melodic and fierce at the same time. A voice that could be associated only to a single person ... a person who, recently, the albino begun to think much more often, for some strange reason.

Accelerator turned slowly ... and then he saw her. Wavy, tea-colored hair framed a pale and delicate face, belonging to a young girl with an athletic and impeccable body. She was wearing a beige coat complete with a matching skirt, yellow stockings that reached up to her thighs, a checked ascot around her neck and heeled shoes.

She was Mugino Shizuri, the fourth Level 5 of Gakuen Toshi, aka Meltdowner. Energetic, ruthless, astute ... beautiful and dangerous, like a panther. When he thought about it, he was not surprised by the fact that she managed to get so high in the esper ranking of the city.

While being sized by the albino, the girl wrinkled her lips in a grimace.

She wasn't a fan of crowded places, but, at the same time, she despised the solitude. That's why that restaurant was perfect for her. The right amount of people with the right amount of chatter. Not to mention the quality of their tea.

For some time she always traveled to that place alone, since Frenda, her best and perhaps only friend, died a few months before.

Even if she didn't show it, she missed the exuberant presence of that blonde with European origins.

The peace and serenity of a good tea was what helped her divert her thoughts from the faults that gripped her heart.

Peace that was promptly interrupted due to a certain Level 5.

Mugino walked up to the figure of Accelerator, pointing a finger at him.

"You got my dress dirty, asshole!" she exclaimed with a growl, receiving an impassive expression from the albino.

He looked down and, in fact, he noticed that the girl's coat was partly littered with bits of food and what looked like a kind of syrup. Evidently he sent one of the criminals to the table she was eating, or to a nearby spot.

" So what ?" he asked with a hint of annoyance, after recording the Level 5's words. " It's just a dress!"

" It's a 10 000 yen coat, upholstered with Italian silk ... This is not just a dress!" the girl replied warmly, pointing to the dress.

Accelerator leaned forward, staring straight into her eyes.

"It's ... just ... a ... dress! It's not life. This is just… stuff"

" Fuck you!" was the answer of the brunette, while she was trying in vain to remove some pieces of food from the coat.

She smacked her tongue, as she counted out that, doing so, she ended up dirtying even her hands with sticky syrup.

" Ah, shit ... I'll never forgive you for this bullshit. This stuff sucks" she muttered bitterly.

Accelerator just rolled his eyes, and said, "Do you know the philosophy that when a man admits he was wrong, all his mistakes are immediately forgiven?"

" Get out of my sight with these crap. The son of a bitch who said that he never had to pick up pieces of pancake because of your stupidity" Mugino growled, returning to stare intensely to the Level 5.

Accelerator leaned forward a second time, squeezing his eyelids together in a pair of thin lines, which darted into the restaurant's dim light.

" Listen to me, bitch, there is a limit. A precise limit to the offenses I can accept: right now I am a racing car and you are pushing me hard" he hissed through clenched teeth. " I'm just telling you that it's very dangerous to push a racing car to the maximum, that's all: I could explode!"

" Oh, are you about to explode ?!"

" Yes, I'm about to explode!"

" And I'm an exterminating atomic mushroom, you bastard!" she exclaimed, while a pair of green and luminescent spheres materialized as from nowhere behind her. " Every time my fingers touch pieces of pancake I become Superfly TNT, I become the Cannons of Navarone! In fact... wait, why the fuck am I talking to you ?!"

" Um, sorry ..." a voice whispered next to the duo, which prompted the couple to turn around abruptly.

" What?!" they exclaimed in unison, as their angry eyes rested on the helpless and frightened figure of the restaurant owner.

"Could you, um ... calm down?" the manger stammered, pointing to the innermost part of the room. " You're scaring the children ... it's just a suggestion!"

The Level 5s followed her with their eyes, and then they noticed that some customers were hugging their kids, due to the potential threat of another confrontation.

Faced with this sight, Accelerator snapped his tongue and glanced quickly towards Mugino.

" All right, you won, fourth rate. I'll offer you lunch, okay? Or do you prefer I take you shopping? Maybe you want me to be your butler and bring your packages. And maybe you would like me to take you to clothes shops and watch you pose and tell you how good you look with every fucking thing you buy!"he exclaimed, not realizing what he just said.

Meanwhile, the cheeks of the brunette turned slightly red, but the girl was quick to hide it.

" I've told you once before, sarcasm doesn't suit you" she replied annoyed. Then, she put her hand to her chin. " Although seeing you act as a slave is a tempting idea ... I'll settle for lunch. Do you see, Number One? I can be content with little things"

The teenager rolled his eyes and motioned for her to sit at one of the tables still intact.

One of the maids approached them with a trembling step, visibly frightened by the couple. Accelerator didn't seem to notice that and turned his attention to Mugino.

"What are you taking?" he asked gruffly.

" A bento" the girl answered, receiving a nod from the esper.

He turned to the waitress and said: "A bento and an English breakfast. Do you also want something to drink?"

" A peach juice "

" Also a peach juice. Oh, and bring us a coffee too. Black, without sugar"

The girl nodded quickly and proceeded to hurry away, under the amused gaze of the Meltdowner.

Then, the Level 5 raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think a person like you should drink so much coffee," she said with a scolding tone, receiving a shrug in return.

Once their dishes arrived, they started eating in relative silence. Neither of them was used to starting a conversation, so they just shared the pleasure of each other's company ... pleasant as it could be.

Both still had rather mixed feelings for each other, arising from years of rivalry, distrust of other people and, well ... their attitude in general, cynical and dispassionate.

Of course, they had heart-to-heart conversations, and Accelerator witnessed one of the Meltdowner's most vulnerable moments, but the boy still wasn't sure if they could be considered friends in the true sense of the word. Or maybe they were. After all, he has never had friends, so he was quite ignorant of what such a bond entailed.

Internally, he wondered if the girl was in a similar situation, and, considering how much they had in common both in terms of history and personality, that wouldn't have surprised him.

Almost unconsciously, he handed his plate to Mugino.

" Do you want some bacon?" he asked with an apparently bored voice, trying to start a sort of interaction.

He hit himself mentally. Of all the things he could think of ... was this the first one that came to mind? God, he felt pathetic.

The other Level 5 stared at him strangely, before shaking her head.

" No thanks, I don't eat pork"

" Why? Are you vegetarian?"

In response, the brunette merely shrugged.

" No, it's just that I don't like pork, that's all" she said casually.

Accelerator filed that bit of information into the back of his brain. It was certainly not the confession of an inviolable secret, but it was still something. Friends did that, right? They shared things. For this reason, armed with a new spirit of initiative, he decided to test the water more deeply.

" And why not?"  
" Simple, pigs are disgusting animals " Mugino said, with a de facto tone. " I don't eat disgusting animals"

" Yes, but the bacon tastes good, the chops have a good taste ..."

" A mouse could have the taste of pumpkin pie, but I'll never know, because I would never dream of eating it. Pigs sleep and peck in shit, so they are disgusting animals, and I don't eat an animal that eats its own feces"

The albino gave an undemanding grunt, then raised an eyebrow.

" And rabbits, then?" he asked curiously, receiving a confused expression from the girl.

" What about rabbits? "

" Rabbits are a rodents who eat their own feces. Do you consider rabbits lousy animals?" the teenager asked, while he was biting another piece of bacon.

Mugino put her hand to her chin, tapping her cheek contemplatively.

" I wouldn't go so far as to call a rabbit disgusting... but, now that you point it out to me, they are definitely dirty animals" she admitted reluctantly. After all, she've always loved rabbits, she considered them adorable. " But rabbits have personality, and personality is an important factor"

"Based on this logic, if a pig had more personality, it would no longer be a disgusting animal," Accelerator said, his lips curled into an amused smile.

In front of him, the brunette chuckled.

" Well, it should be a super charming pig! In short, it should be the male version of Piggy of the Muppets, you know what I'm saying?"

" You're out of your mind" the albino snorted, while keeping his smile intact.

Mugino followed him around, pointing to him with the bento's sticks.

" That's like the pot calling the kettle black" she replied with a teasing, almost malicious tone.

Accelerator was about to argue but, at that precise moment, the arrival of a very distinct figure caught his attention, as well as that of numerous customers present in the room.

At the entrance of the restaurant, in fact, a tall, lanky teenager with long white hair, almost as pale as Accelerator himself, has just appeared**.**

He wore cream-colored clothes, while a total of six long feathered wings, like those of an angel, sprang from his back. In fact, the adolescent vaguely remembered these mythical creatures, not only for his appearance but also for the aura that his body emanated, warm and reassuring as a fire lit on a stormy night.

He was none other than Kakine Teitoku, aka Dark Matter, the second most powerful Level 5 in the city.

The story of Kakine Teiroku was perhaps one of the most unique in the entire Academy City, one that would have raised several eyebrows, and pushed many people to change their worldview.

The second Level 5 of Gakuen Toshi, in fact, was initially a cruel and ruthless character, endowed with the ability to create and control at will a mysterious substance taken directly from the reality factory, the Dark Matter.

Through this substance he was able to recreate whatever he wanted, from simple objects to clones of himself, factors that made him a practically immortal human being.

During a fight with Accelerator, he ended up seriously injuring Yomikawa Ahoi, the guardian of the albino**. **An event that sparked the anger of the " Strongest" who, in a fit of anger, proceeded to reduce his opponent to almost death.

Teitoku's brain, still functioning, was later taken by the most important family of scientists in the city, the Kihara, who through various experiments succeeded in re-creating an artificial body made of Dark Matter.

Armed with revenge, Kakine started experimenting with his new powers, creating clones of himself and, subconsciously, dividing his personality into various distinct parts.

Later, he tried once again to kill Accelerator, but during this battle the albino received the help of Mugino Shizuri herself.

And then ... something very unexpected happened: the good personality of Kakine, who was buried for some time and assimilated by one of the clones made of Dark Matter, began to take the control over all the others.

From this personality, a clone called Beetle 05 was born, which supplanted the malevolent personality of the previous Kakine, creating a new one, whose sole purpose was to help others and protect the Academy City.

And this was precisely the Kakine Teitoku that has just made its comparison at the entrance to the club.

" Um ... can I help you?" one of the maidsasked, visibly fearful of approaching the odd-looking individual.

However, not at all influenced by the girl's attitude, the Level 5 merely offered her an easy-going smile, while his wings retreated into his back.

" Someone called for my help. Has there been any problem in this place?" he asked in a slightly worried tone.

" You're in late, snowflake, I've already fixed things" a familiar voice stated, attracting the attention of the esper.

In that moment, the boy noticed the presence of Accelerator and Mugino, just a few meters from him.

" Accelerator-san, Mugino-san" he greeted with an affable voice, making a quick bow.

" Number 2" the others answered, in unison. They've never been on good terms with Kakine, but after his miraculous transformation of personality…well, they started to treat him more civilly.

The Dark Matter looked around a couple of times, before scratching his head in embarrassment.

" So ... my presence here is no longer required?"

" No, unless you don't want to join us" Accelerator said, pointing to the table where he and Mugino were eating.

In response, the teenager merely offered the couple an apologetic smile.

" I appreciate the offer, but I don't need to eat, and my duties keep me constantly busy"

" You really are a saint" Shizuri commented, with a sarcastic tone.

Kakine, however, didn't seem troubled by the girl's words.

" I do my best to help others" he admitted with a shrug.

Then, three pairs of wings once again came out of the back of the esper, while he greeted the couple.

" It was good to see you again" he said sincerely, before leaving the restaurant and flying away.

Once the Level 5 was gone, Accelerator snapped his tongue.

" Tsk ... shit, he gives me chills every time. If I think of how he was before..."

" Yeah, I never imagined that I would see the day when the Number Two would have talked to you civilly" Mugino commented, while she was biting a piece of salmon wrapped in rice. " Did you steal the last can of coffee to him, or something?"

" No" was the rapid response of the albino, whose face had suddenly assumed a much darker expression.

Noticing the boy's mood, the Meltdowner put away the bento's sticks and tilted her head, staring curiously at him.

Accelerator gave her a brief look, before releasing a sigh.

" There has never been a real reason. He was a beast. He hurt a lot of people, and now he "discovered God" only because of an accident" he muttered in a low voice.

" You know ... at the beginning I thought we were connected, somehow. That in the end I would find out what connection there was between me and that piece of shit" he continued. " All these years ... his attempts to kill me ... all the people who suffered ... and for what? In the end, there was no sense. He was just another crazy guy who wanted to be remembered"

" So the rumors are true. You don't remember your past" Mugino observed, receiving a grunt in return.

" Not even my name" Accelerator admitted. " My first memories are set in the Kihara laboratory, where they developed my powers. Before then ... zero, a white table. I don't remember my parents, if I had any, my birthday, my home ... nothing " he whispered, his gaze lost where Kakine left only a few seconds ago.

Mugino's eyes softened, but she chose not to show it to the boy. After all, she was well aware that Gakuen Toshi's Number One was a rather proud person. He was like her, he wouldn't accept pity from anyone.

In an attempt to change the tone of the conversation, she decided to ask him a question she wanted to ask him for a long time.

" How is Fremea?" she asked suddenly, surprising the other Level 5.

"What do you mean, how is she?" the boy replied, squeezing both his eyelids. " She lives with you. How can you not know ?"

"I mean ... how is her life. Is she happy? Is she unhappy? I would like to know so much" the brunette said, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Faced with the bewildered expression of the albino, the girl decided to elaborate.

" She lives with me, sure, but ... I don't know, I've always been afraid to ask her. Every time I look at her ... I find myself in front of the image of Frenda and…well, I block myself" she admitted with a certain degree of embarrassment.

With that said, she shrugged.

" I don't know, maybe I want to avoid potential disappointments. Living in the hope of being able to make her sister happy " she muttered, looking down, while Accelerator scrutinized her with a calculating look.

They were silent for about a minute. When that short period of time came to an end, the teenager snapped his tongue, attracting Mugino's attention.

" She is ... she is very happy. She has a crush on another brat, I heard her and Last Order talked about it"

" Good for her" the Level 5 commented, with a little smile.

Meanwhile, Accelerator began to stare at her intensely.

" ... And how are you?" he asked suddenly, making the Meltdowner's eyes widen.

The girl started looking at him in amazement ... and then, she chuckled.

" What is it?" the boy asked, visibly irritated by such an answer.

Mugino chuckled a second time and said: "No, it's just ... well, It's been a while since someone asked me that ... I'm fine"

" ... No, you are not" the albino replied, after analyzing the expression on the brunette's face.

Shizuri released a resigned sigh.

"Yeah, I'm not" she murmured in a low voice. " And how could I? I'm still my father's daughter ... bound to his dreams, and forced to bear the weight of his ambitions. I had to be the perfect daughter ... the best in everything I did"

" Then his dreams were crazy. One cannot be the best in all, it's a universal constant" Accelerator commented coolly, apparently disgusted by such a concept.

In response, Mugino merely made a contemptuous gesture with her right hand.

" This doesn't changes anything. Ever since I was little girl ... I've always been just my father's shadow " she revealed in a low voice. " As long as his work remains unfinished ... his dream unfulfilled…I'll remain a pale reflection of that man. My own life cannot begin"

And, with that said, she raised her right hand and squeezed it into a fist.

" I've always tried to be the best ... to earn my freedom!" she exclaimed, while Accelerator listened to her impassively.

Then, the Meltdowner released a second sigh.

" But by now it seems clear to me that that road is lost forever. Here I am, destined to be always a step backwards, even to those who until recently I considered only garbage. Eh, karma has a strange sense of irony" she chuckled bitterly, as she slumped back in his chair.

An inexorable silence seemed to fall into the depths of the restaurant.

Many of the customers left the place due to the clash, while others moved away as much as possible from the pair of Level 5s. Despite this, the whole room was still pervaded by the hum coming from the music and occasional chatter. Yet, Accelerator felt nothing of this. The only thing that interested him, at the moment, were the words the girl has just spoken. Words that, for some strange reason, irritated him deeply.

" Stop saying that bullshit" he hissed through clenched teeth, recalling Mugino's attention.

With hesitant movements, the albino stretched his right arm and placed a hand on the brunette's shoulder, in an attempt to seem comforting.

" Listen ... your father can go to fuck himself. You are the Meltdowner, for God's sake! There are only seven people in this city who could declare war against an entire nation and come out as winners. And you ..." he said pointing at the girl, " you're one of them. He should feel honored to have a daughter like you. Out of 7 billion people scattered on this shitty planet ... you and you alone have the right to decide how much your life is worth. And at the risk of sounding corny, I think yours is worth a lot"

Those words seem to hit the mark, because the Level 5's eyes seemed to light up with their own light.

Noticing this, Accelerator decided to continue.

" In part, I understand how you feel. Believe me, I really do. As for you, in me there is a part that is wild and fierce ... a murderer" he said in a calm and collected voice, despite how was difficult the subject he was about to treat. " I'm a tough person, used to hard ways. When I fight, it's to win. This is not nice, and certainly not pleasant. But being a human ... means choosing to grow, change and put aside the past. Some can't ... or worse ... they don't want to do it"

Then, he looked up in the direction of Mugino, letting the blood-red pits he had as eyes mirror in the brown ones of the Meltdowner.

" Yes, until few months ago I was just like you. I was trying to find my way. I wanted to do it alone. Then I found people like me, who understood me** …** And suddenly I had a place I called home" he murmured, unconsciously curling his lips into an almost nostalgic smile. " Eh eh ... Sometimes I forget it. It happens. You think too much about yourself and forget that when you stop being with others ... you become like the tree in the middle of a forest. Nobody cares if it falls"

" You're so depressing" the girl commented, crossing her arms on the table and leaning over her head.

" Yeah, I am**.** But do you know what the real problem is? I ... I don't know why. I don't know what makes me sick. Things I thought I overcome ... re-emerge, reopening old wounds. Sometimes I have flashes. Moments hidden in my memory, which re-emerge. Many things that I thought I experienced…turned out to be only lies planted in my head! And worse ... sometimes, many of the joys to which I clung like a raft become false!"

" So are you saying that life is hard? The discovery of the century!" Mugino retorted, raising both hands towards the ceiling.

Accelerator blushed slightly, looking away.

"No, I don't want to be a victim ... I'm sorry if I gave you this impression," he muttered, before shaking his head. " But returning to the initial subject ... Have you ever wanted something in your life? Something different from wanting to please your father?"

A simple yet complicated question. Maybe too personal for such a conversation, but the Level 5 didn't care**. **He just wanted to break into the soul of that strong and tormented girl, to make her understand that she was much more than she thought.

However, when the brunette didn't respond, Accelerator decided to give her a little encouragement.  
" Well ... I have a dream too. Nothing special, something I once read in a magazine. I'd like to go on a ship. One of those beautiful and comfortable ones. I would like to hope for a happy ending, with my family. Me and them on the ship, at sunset, far from this fucking place" he admitted with a shrug.

Meanwhile, Mugino remained still and motionless, staring at him, her face adorned with an illegible expression.

Then, after what seemed an interminable time, she said: "Nothing comes to mind"

And the heart of the albino sank, even though he didn't show it.

Skilfully masking the disappointment resulting from such a response, the Level 5 released a loud snort.

"Well, I think you should think about it," he stated as a matter of fact, before drinking his steaming cup of coffee in one quick gulp.

At the same time, Mugino finished the last sips of her juice and jumped up.

" Thanks for the lunch" she said brusquely, as if she wanted to get away from that table as quickly as possible. And, after all, Accelerator understood why.

She already opened with him once, but she wasn't sure she could do it again. Well, he certainly wouldn't make things easy for her.

" Wait, I said that I would have paid the laundry, and that's what I'm going to do" he said standing up too, and walking alongside her just as she was about to leave the room.

The Meltdowner gave him a quick glance, before releasing a sigh.

" You don't have to do it. As you said, it's just a dress"

"I didn't offer you a lottery win. Come on, let's go" the other esper replied, rolling his eyes and going over a few steps.

Mugino remained motionless, considering the idea of whether to follow him or not. She could always run away, she doubted he could reach her with the crutch he was carrying. Unless he used his powers, of course. Would he use them for her? Was she really worth it, as he said a few minutes before? Part of her wanted to find out ... and another was afraid of what she would find.

With another sigh, she decided to approach the figure of the albino and the pair of Level 5s began to walk in relative silence.

Accelerator cast occasional glances towards the girl, almost as if he was trying to find the right words for telling her something important.

" Fuck everything " he muttered after almost five good minutes, attracting the the brunette's attention once again.

" Look ..." he began, with hesitation" do you want to fix things with the brat, right? Be 100% sure that she's happy"

Surprised by that particular question, Mugino's eyes widened. Then, she nodded slowly.

In response, Accelerator nodded in satisfaction.

" Then come with us to the Daihasei Festival tomorrow night, to watch the fireworks. I'll need an extra pair of eyes to check the brats, and you could make things easier for me**"** he offered with an apparently bored tone, as if he was asking someone to look at his dog.

The Meldowner just stared at the albino, completely shocked. Did she ... did she hear right? Did Accelerator, Gakuen Toshi's Number One…just invite her to spend an evening with him? If she didn't know him well, she would almost take that for a ...

"Are you asking me for a date?" she said with a sly smile, making the albino stumble forward.

" What the fuck ... no! I'm just trying to ... help you, that's all" he replied warmly, his cheeks slightly flushed and his face adorned with a grumpy frown.

However, the girl's smile remained unchanging. Indeed, if possible, it seemed to widen.

Faced with that display of teasing, Accelerator began to regret proposing such an invitation and looked away.

However, after he took just three steps ...

" Ok, I accept the offer" Mugino said, causing him to stumble a second time.

" Really? I mean ... of course you accept the offer, why shouldn't you? " he murmured annoyed, shaking his head and starting to walk once again.

At that moment, something quite unexpected happened. Just as she did at the park a few days before, the brunette clung to his free arm, still smiling.

Accelerator's right eyebrow began to contract.

" Can you stop doing that?"

" Why? Is it making you uncomfortable?" the other Level 5 chirped, with a mocking voice.

The albino's cheeks turned red again.

"It's fucking embarrassing," he muttered, looking away once more.

God, what was happening to him? Usually he had no problem staying with girls, for him they were just other people. And his interactions with the opposite sex were certainly not limited, he lived with four of them!

Meanwhile, to his dismay, Mugino decided to add insult to injury ... and rested her head on the boy's shoulder.

"But it's comfortable," she murmured in a melodic tone, her lips still curled in a timeless smile.

Accelerator released a resigned sigh.

" Tsk ... you're such a bitch"

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**All reviews are welcomed !**

**Kakine will have a BIG role, later...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's a new chapter, after more than a month of silence!**

**Don't worry, I'll finish this story, I'm going to write at least three more chapters ( maybe more, if the number of reviews increase ).**

**I remind you that I'm Italian, English is not my mother tongue, so I'm sorry for any grammatical errors you'll find. I searched for a Beta-Reader for the last three months, but nobody seems to be interested, so I suppose you'll have to settle for it.**

**This chapter picks up exactly where the last one ended. Also, it will contain the cameo of a very special person.**

**I wish you a good reading, and I hope you'll find time to leave a review!**

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**Chapter 4 :**

Accelerator never liked Gakuen Toshi's festivals. Useless noise, so much public money spent on superfluous passenger entertainment and pyrotechnic shows that only contributed to increasing pollution.

Before knowing Last Order, he has never attended one of these events cause these reasons. He started attending festivals only to make that child happy, even though he wouldn't admit it to anyone.

That same evening, however, he wouldn't have participated only for Last Order, absolutely not. In fact ... it was also for a girl.

For those who knew the albino, such a statement would have been more likely received with some degree of disbelief mixed with fun.

Still, this was the truth: Accelerator had a date with a girl and would accompany her to the Daihasei Festival.

This festival was a unique festive event in Gakuen Toshi, whose main entertainment consisted of a sporting event among the various schools, very similar to the Olympics. The night, instead, was dedicated to stalls and small fairground games, combined with the classic theme of fireworks shot in the starry sky.

Gakuen Toshi's number one Esper would have attended that evening in the company of nothing else than Mugino Shizuri, the fourth most powerful and feared Level 5 in the entire city.

Everything started because of the day before, after the albino suggested her to go to the festival with him solely to keep an eye on Last Order and her friend Fremea Suleivan, of which Mugino was the guardian.

He would have never imagined that things would take such a turn, since the girl intended the invitation as a real date.

Internally, Accelerator didn't know what to think. Normally such a thing shouldn't have mattered to him that much, but a part of him was more than determined to make a good impression in front of the girl who bore the nickname of Meltdowner.

Whenever Accelerator's mind became aware of this fact, the albino found himself shaking his head to get rid of those traitorous thoughts. It was impossible to make a good impression with a demanding person like Mugino, and he would have probably spent the evening under the constant teasing of the brunette.

" I must have been mad! "He repeated to himself mentally. "Just take me to the airport, put me on a plane! Quickly, soon, before I go crazy! I want to be sedated! "

And then again: "Nothing to do, no place to hise, I just want to be sedated!"

"Accelerator?" a female voice called him, interrupting his ramblings.

It belonged to a woman apparently in her thirties, with short black hair that reached her shoulders. She was Yoshikawa Kikyou, the boy's guardian, and co-guardian of Gakuen Toshi's most powerful exsper with Yomikawa Ahio, a member of the Anti-Skill.

" Are you ok? You have that far-out look in your eye" the woman continued, with an amused smile.

Accelerator dilated his pupils.

" Uh? Don't worry, it's nothing. I was just thinking"

" About what?"

" Accelerator brings me and Fremea to the Daihaisei Festival together with Mugino, this evening! Misaka says as Misaka intrudes on the speech and jump at his neck with happiness!"

Those words were from Last Order, the little girl that the Level 5 took under his wing about a year ago.

The little girl sprung on the boy like a flash, hugging him tightly.

" Mugino Shizuri? The fourth Level 5?" Yoshikawa asked, visibly surprised.

At that precise moment, a loud thud echoed along the entire length of the apartment.

" I can't believe it! Accelerator has a date with a girl!" Yomikawa yelled, who was eavesdropping the conversation a few steps from the room.

The albino seemed rather annoyed by that statement.

He snapped his tongue and answered: " I don't have a date. I asked that crazy bitch to come with me only to help me keep an eye on the brats"

"Soooo…it's a date," Yoshikawa pointed out, with a hint of malice and a somewhat mocking grin.

Accelerator squeezed both eyelids.

"It's not a ... Tch ... never mind" he muttered, bringing a hand to his face.

" Don't swell your hopes too much, Kyokou. Knowing him, he will make her run away before the snap of midnight" Yomikawa broke in, crossing both arms in front of her chest.

After hearing these words, Last Order's eyes lit up with childlike joy.

" But then he would bring her the crystal slipper back. It would be so romantic! Says Misaka as Misaka imagines the scenario"

Accelerator wanted to throttle them with his own hands, but he restrained himself thanks to Yoshikawa, who put a hand on his shoulder.

" Come on, don't be like that. Since you will be in good company ... you should follow the tradition of the festival and wear a yakuta"

" Excuse me?"

" It's the tradition, Accelerator. Remember that you will be in company, you would look bad if you didn't wear it" the woman continued, with an apparently innocent smile. All under the astonished gaze of the albino.

" I have someone tailored for boys. Let's see if they suit you" Yomikawa proposed, leaving the room. The reason she kept that kind of male clothes was very simple: she was a woman in search of a husband, and kept several clothes for when she would get married. Unfortunately for her, ten years were past since she set herself such a goal, yet she still didn't managed to find a companion.

The woman arrived with three yakutas, and, after a test of a few minutes, both she and her friend opted for a kimono with a black lining and with white inlays that not only matched the esper's hair, but they also created a good contrasted with the dark background.

They also made sure to comb his thick rebellious hair, so that the strands didn't cover his eyes.

Last Order looked at the teenager from head to toe.

" Accelerator, you look great! Misaka exclaims as Misaka compliments about your new look"

"I feel like an idiot ..." the boy said, looking at his dress with a touch of disgust.

Yomikawa waved her right hand contemptuously.

" Come on, don't be so picky. You're going out with a beautiful girl, not to the bar!"

And, after saying that, the woman proudly wiped the small tears that began to come out of her eyes.

" Accelerator has a date, I'm so proud of him. I miss adolescence ... parties, beers and nightclubs…dancing with pretty boys to the sound of Bee Gees…" she muttered with a more depressed tone.

The albino preferred not to comment on the sentence of his guardian, not only because he was tired of reiterating that it wasn't a date, but also because at any moment she would have curled up in a corner to meditate on her own condition of single woman.

Finally, the fateful time came.

It was exactly 8:00 pm. In the main square of Gakuen Toshi, Accelerator and Last Order were waiting patiently for the arrival of Mugino and Fremea.

The boy crossed his arms over his chest and began to beat his left foot impatiently.

" Don't worry, she will come. Says Misaka as Misaka tries to calm you down"

" Uh? What are you talking about, brat? I am calm"

" You're wondering if she'll come. I can see it from your posture and your tapping on the grounf. Says Misaka as Misaka performes a careful analysis of your behaviour"

" Tch ...listen carefully, brat, it's not like you think. I simply want her to help me keep an eye on you and your annoying friend. I just need her for this and nothing else!" he replied warmly, while the little girl just smiled.

At that precise moment, a female voice called their attention.

Accelerator turned to identify where it came from and what he saw forced him to hold his breath: a rosy face with freshly flushed cheeks, a lively tea-colored hair gathered in a soft bun and a violet flower on the left side of her head.

Mugino Shizuri, the fourth Level 5… was beautiful. No…she was more than beautiful. She was breathtaking.

The long pink kimono fell on the soft and shapely curves, coming to touch the sidewalk, and a pretty fur-lined hem was wrapped around her slender neck.

Around the thin waist there was a golden ribbon that held her dress, while on her back there was a striking bow with an orange and yellow union.

With slow and graceful movements, the girl continued to smooth imaginary folds on the dress. The wide sleeves edged with blue and gold moved along with her limbs like a mystical aura emanating by the Level 5.

The complete picture was that of a young woman, beautiful and elegant, wrapped in a bright kimono with cheerful floral motifs.

The albino's cheeks tinged slightly red in front of that show, but he was quick to hide it. He greeted her with a nod, while his eyes rested briefly on the one who was accompanying her. A petite girl of just ten years, with long blond hair and blue eyes, with foreign features.

Fremea wasted no time and joined Last Order with an ecstatic smile, a gesture that was returned by the small clone.

After greeting each other, the couple of little girls left for the various rides, leaving the two pseudo-parents alone.

Once they were at a safe distance, Last Order gave her friend a wary look.

" Do you think it will work, Fremea? Even if they're keeping an eye on us, they're still alone. Says Misaka as Misaka asks you to confirm"

" It will work, don't worry. We just have to keep a safe distance" the blonde replied cheerfully. " My sister told me that this is how couples are born. At least I think ... basically, she said a lot of things, but I didn't understand much. Adults can be really strange"

Meanwhile, the two Level 5s began to walk side by side, remaining silent for a while. They were both embarrassed because of the unusual situation. Neither of them has ever participated to a real date, they were not the kind of people who chose to try their hand in such activities.

After what seemed an endless time, Mugino decided to break the ice.

"Well, well…you've dressed up and everything" she commented with reference to his look. Then, she crack a mischievous grin, " Did you do it for me? How sweet…"

" Wait, what? I didn't do it for you!" the albino retorted bitterly. " They forced me"

" The great Number One… forced to dress well? How adorable"

"What , are you the sarcasm champion tonight?"

" I always am. Do you feel uncomfortable? I was just trying to make conversation, that's all. But apparently ..."

"You look great" the esper said, interrupting her.

Mugino's eyes popped in surprise.

" W-what ?"

" You look really good. This yukuta really suits you" the albino repeated, looking away.

At that point, the cheeks of the brunette turned slightly red, and this time he couldn't hide it.

A victorious smile formed on the boy's face.

" Oh, sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?"

"G-go fuck yourself, you idiot! Don't try piss me off with these mental games" Mugino snarled through clenched teeth.

If possible, Accelerator's smile seemed to get bigger.

" Why? What are you gonna do ?" he asked with a mocking tone.

At that point, the embarrassment was quickly replaced by anger. Without wasting time, the Meltdowner grabbed him by the collar and brought him close to her face.

" Listen to me very carefully, snowflake. Don't push me just because you're The Strongest, I can kick your crippled ass any time I want"

" Then go on, bitch!" the boy continued, with a decidedly more sadistic tone of voice.

The girl's face became furious and three spheres of intense green light appeared behind her, ready to be thrown against the albino.

" Um, excuse me ..." a voice next to the duo whispered, which prompted the couple to turn around abruptly.

" What?!" they exclaimed in unison, while their angry eyes rested on the rather confused figure of a stall owner. Apparently, it looked like one of those classic stalls where you had to shoot at targets and hit them to win a prize.

The manager was an old man, rather tall, with white hair pulled back, a neatly trimmed mustache and a pair of sunglasses. Which surprised the duo of esper, since it was evening.

He wasn't Japanese, he looked American. Foreigners were certainly not new to Gakuen Toshi, but they were usually limited to transfer students.

" A beautiful couple like you shouldn't fight like this" the old man warned, with a little smile. " What about trying my game to cool the spirits? I offer!"

" We are not a ... couple" """"Mugino snorted, crossing both hands in front of her chest.

Accelerator snapped his tongue.

" In fact. Moreover, I don't want to waste time with a childish game"

" Mph, you only say that because you know you're gonna lose" the girl commented with a scornful tone.

The albino slowly turned his head.

" Excuse me?"

" You got it right, Number One. I'm quite convinced that you're just afraid to loose against me" the brunette continued, with an impertinent smile.

The other Level 5 squeezed both eyelids.

" Tch..as if I could lose against a girl. Against you, then ... absurd!"

" Egocentric and even male chauvinist. Tell me something ... do you act all big and powerful to compensate for a certain lack down there?" Mugino said with a mischievous voice.

Apparently, this was the straw that broke the camel's back.

" Ok, I've had enough! I accept the challenge" the albino growled, before reaching out to the old man. " Give me a fucking gun!"

The man smiled with satisfaction.

" Excellent young man, this is the spirit. Here is one for you ... and one for the pretty young lady" he said placing the above-mentioned weapons in the hands of the respective Level 5s.

Accelerator glanced briefly at the Meltdowner.

" Please, ladies first"

"Aw, how nice of you" she replied, then pointed the gun at the targets.

She took a deep breath ... and fired a total of twelve shots.

All with an almost unnatural precision, probably derived from the constant use of her powers.

Accelerator had to admit that this girl had an almost divine grace in everything she did, even at shooting.

In the end, Mugino managed to hit nine targets.

" Not bad" the albino commented, receiving a proud smile in exchange.

" I'm a mercenary, Number One. Although I almost always rely on my power, I also learned some tricks with firearms. You never know when they will come in handy"

An intelligent course of action, the boy thought.

It was his turn.

With superb craftsmanship, the albino hit all twelve targets in less than a minute. The months spent at the shooting range yielded results that far exceeded the initial expectations of the Level 5, also due to his ability to perform complex calculations.

The brunette was incredibly impressed by such a show of skill, so much that she let herself go in a completely dazed look.

" That was incredible, young man! I've never seen anything like that" the elder **saltimbanco** comment, with an ecstatic smile. " For the beard of Odin, here is your prize"

And, after saying that, he handed a large stuffed tiger into the Level 5's hands.

Accelerator stared oddly at the stuffed animal. He has never participated to such activities, he considered them too childish. However, he had to admit that it was strangely liberating.

Meanwhile, the old man took a quick bow.

" I hope to see you again in the future, enjoy the rest of the evening" he said with that apparently timeless smile.

The Level 5's pair returned the gesture and began to walk away.

At the same time, still facing them, the stall holder greeted them with a resounding " Excelsior!"

Accelerator briefly launched a glimpse at the man.

" That guy was a really weird old man" he commented with a raised eyebrow.

Beside him, Mugino found herself in agreement with the evaluation of the albino.

" Yes, but he was a nice person. In the end we didn't have to drop a single yen" she said with a shrug.

Then, she set her eyes on the figure of his companion, who still held the stuffed animal in his hands.

" You know…usually, the prize won is given to the girl" she declared with a mischievous grin.

Accelerator stared at her strangely.

" Eh? And why should I do that? I was the one who won it"

" Sometimes you can be such a child. What would you do with it? I'm pretty sure your brat only like frogs"

Internally, Accelerator could not help but agree.

A part of him wanted to give her that toy. The other part thought that, if he did so, she could misunderstand the gesture. Or maybe he was acting too paranoid.

"Tch ... okay, take it" he said gruffly, handing the stuffed animal into the Meltdowner's hands.

The girl's eyes widened in surprise.

" You're too kind, Number One" she commented with a little smile. " However ... I have to refuse. I think he's better with you. After all, it's an animal that looks like you ... tiger"

For some reason, it seemed to Accelerator that Mugino's smile has become more genuine, more sincere and honest.

Unconsciously he found himself blushing, but he tried to hide it in every way.

They remained silent and continued to walk with relative tranquility, casting occasional glances at the surrounding area to make sure that Last Order and Fremea were nearby.

This until they came across a band performing for the public. It was one of those neighborhood complexes, made up of boys between the ages of 14 and 20, who played covers of famous songs for the joy of the public.

The song they were playing was quite famous, taken directly from a very popular american movie.

The Number Four recognized it instantly and, enchanted by the notes of that music, she began to hum the words.

Accelerator stared at her with the corner of his eye.

" Look at that ... the proud Meltdowner who knows the words of the main theme of Dirty Dancing. Who would have thought it?" he said with a teasing grin.

Almost like a signal, the brunette suddenly stopped.

" S-shut up. It's just famous, that's all. You, on the other hand…how the hell do you know that movie?"

The teenager shrugged.

" I live with a thirty year old woman at the constant and desperate search for a husband. She devours movies like these every single day. By now I know almost all of them. Titanic, Ghost, Dirty Dancing ... a lot! I never imagined that someone like you could like the genre" he commented, amused.

The cheeks of the girl turned red. He caught her.

Yes, she liked romantic movies, it was one of her biggest shame.

When she was little she dreamed of finding a special person like those depicted in the aforementioned movies. Someone who came to visit her in the middle of the night, to kidnap her from her golden cage ... finally making her free.

But growing up she abandoned that childish goal. This was also because of her parents, who imposed absolute seriousness.

With a loud snort, she muttered: "Yes, I love this kind of movies, okay? Are you happy now?

" Extremely"

" Fuck you!"

Mugino walked away, unwilling to endure such an embarrassment.

The albino looked at her for a moment and thought that maybe he went a little too far. Somehow he offended her.

He shook his head, thinking about how ridiculous a similar concept was. They often took insults from each other, they were used to it, so it was absurd that she lost it for so little.

With a mental sigh, the albino limped over to her.

" Ohi, what's the problem with you? It was just a joke" he said with a slight frown.

Before the brunette could respond, she noticed a blur with the corner of the eye.

She tilted her head slightly, while a soccer ball crossed the space separating the pair of Level 5s.

Few seconds later, a child crossed the undergrowth that bordered the park, his face adorned with an expression of panic.

" I'm sorry, I didn't do it on purpose! We were playing and ... we didn't hit anyone, did we?" he asked with a worried tone.

Accelerator just rolled his eyes.

" No, don't worry. Go to play away from here, brats, before seriously hurting someone" the albino answered. Then, with a clever footwork, he kicked the ball right into the infant's arms.

The child, struck by that demonstration, thanked him heartily and returned to where he came from.

Accelerator turned his gaze towards Mugino ... and froze. The girl was staring at him with an intensity that the albino has never seen before.

Unknown to the Level 5, the Meltdowner's mind was racing a thousand.

At the exact moment that Accelerator hoisted that soccer ball from the ground ... she received a sort of flashback. The memory of a summer of ten years ago, which now seemed lost.

She was like reliving that moment once again. She ran away from home and, in this same park…she met a strange child. A little, thin and white-haired individual. And the eyes ... his eyes, red as blood.

There was no doubt. The child who extended his hand to her in friendship years ago, who treated her like a person. That same child that her parents forbidden to see ... was in front of her, now grown up.

" It's…it's you" she whispered with a weak voice, approaching a step. How could she forget him?

She gasped internally. She knew very well how that happened.

She buried that memory in the deepest recesses of her mind, unable to bear any more the faint hope of a normal life. Time passed, accumulating dust and suffering on that heartbreaking memory.

Accelerator stared at her strangely.

"Eh? What the hell are you talking about?"

" Ten years ago ..." Mugino took another step towards the esper, " two children played together in this same park. Then it started to rain. He offered to take her home, protecting her from the rain ..."

Accelerator raised an eyebrow. Where the hell was this going?

Then ... the vision of the Level 5 was filled with a sudden flash.

There was his younger self, flanked by the thin figure of a little girl. She had long brown hair that reached up to her shoulders and hazel eyes.

The esper's eyes seemed lit up with understanding

" The boy accompanied her to her home, and they promised that they would still play together" he whispered to himself, before turning his gaze to Mugino. " So you remember ..."

In response, the girl merely nodded.

At that point, the expression on Accelerator's face was replaced by a mask of pure anger.

" That day I waited for you ... why didn't you come back?" he hissed through clenched teeth.

Mugino winced, looking away. " My parents. My father forbade me to see you. I tried to oppose him and he ... well, he hit me"

The albino dilated his pupils, while the Meltdowner chuckled bitterly.

" Usually I didn't cry, I was used to violence and their too high expectations ... but that time I cried. I went to my room and cried like never before"

" I'm sor ..."

" No, don't do that" she interrupted him abruptly, before he could complete the sentence. " I could have found a way to stem it all, but I was weak ... a simple scared child. If I could go back in time ...

" It's not necessary to self-pity yourself" the other said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Mugino started staring at him strangely and Acelerator released a sigh.

" I could have done something too. I could have looked for you, but I did nothing. I was afraid, afraid that that day was just a dream, and so I chose to forget. After ten years ... here we are. Shit, life can be really ironic" he commented with an impassive voice, looking up at the sky.

Unconsciously, Mugino leaned her head over the albino's shoulder. He let her do it and they both stood still and stared at the stars.

" I'm sorry I left abruptly, before" the girl said, breaking the calm of that moment. " The fact is that ... I opened up to you, I told you practically everything about my life. Somehow I thought that, showing me weak for the umpteenth time, you would have decided ..."

"Don't talk bullshit," he snapped, forcing her to stop. "I told you yesterday, didn't I? Your parents were pieces of shit, but you're the Meltdowner. You are unique, nobody else is like you"

Then, almost without realizing it, the Level 5 ran a hand through the brunette's hair.

" You are special, because you are like that. It's a truth that Irealized only a short time ago. What are you? Good or evil? Strong or weak? It's irrelevant. You can only be described by the word ... _**you**_"

Mugino enjoyed the delicate but at the same time decisive touch of the esper.

" You really became a philosopher, eh? " she whispered blissfully. " Usually, I would kill anyone who tried to use this kind of shit with me. But with you...it's different. These words sound so genuine from your mouth. It's fucking creepy"

At that point, the dark sky vault was decorated with the bang of fireworks, which with their bright shapes and the thousand colors enchanted the eyes of the people scattered throughout the area.

Even the two Espers couldn't escape this artificial spell.

"They are beautiful," she commented. " I've never liked fireworks, but I don't know why ... now I find them wonderful"

" Then there are two of us" the albino murmured.

At the same time, the girl raised her head to look into his eyes and he did the same.

They stared at each other for what seemed an interminable time. And then Mugino found herself mirrored in those blood-red irises, and felt trapped there. Meanwhile, Accelerator seemed to get lost in the sweet features of the Level 5.

He didn't know how it happened. A moment ago they were just staring at each other, and then she was bending toward him.

For a fraction of a second Accelerator wondered if, by kissing her, he would break the spell between them ... but it was too late to come back. And when the lips of the two Espers met, he was sure he could have live a hundred years and visit all the countries of the world, but that nothing could have equal the intensity of that moment. The moment he kissed Mugino Shizuri for the first time.

It was certainly not a long kiss, like those seen in the movies, but in its own way… it was wonderful. Every single contact was magnificent, intoxicating. Shizuri's lips were warm and pleasant. Accelerator calmly savored every second of that moment, as he pulled the girl's face closer to his with a quick wave of his hand.

The brunette didn't object and continued to kiss him tenderly, almost as if she no longer wanted to do anything else.

Everything was perfect. The girl has never experienced such euphoria in sharing her feelings with someone, not until that moment. And it was beautiful, she thought.

After that seemingly endless contact, they broke away and looked at each other again, happy to see the joy reflected in each other's eyes.

The Meltdowner gently stroked his snow-white hair. For the first time in her life she felt really happy, and she leaned her head against the albino's chest, hugging him.

Accelerator let her do that and returned the hug.

A strange, but extremely pleasant feeling enveloped him. It was as if, holding that magnificent creature in his arms, he felt stronger and weaker at the same time. He felt euphoric ... and that terrified him.

The future was uncertain, completely out of his control. But maybe that was not a bad thing. Because for the first time, after countless years of torment and suffering ... Gakuen Toshi's Number One esper finally felt in peace.

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**XXXX**

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**Yes, the old man was Stan Lee. I miss him a lot!**

**All reviews are welcome ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yes, I'm back. I wrote a very long chapter, so I was forced to divide it into two parts (this is the first). I wish you a good read, and I hope you will find time to leave a review!**

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**XXXX**

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**Now it's on - Part 1**

It was a sunny morning at Gakuen Toshi, just like many others. On the other hand ... could the sun not shine in front of a city like that? Huge and magnificent, at the forefront of scientific progress, made up of 90% of students and teachers. A realAcademy City, the only one of its kind.  
There were even those who considered the metropolis to be the eighth wonder of the world.

That day, however, the attention of the male students walking near the center was not concentrated on the large buildings that made up the urban complex, nor on the wonders of modern engineering, but ... on a bar.

Oh yes, a normal family bar, precisely on a small group of three beautiful girls sitting around a table, comfortably busy conversing with each other.

Kinuhata Saiai, the youngest, with a lively look and delicate features and brown hair kept in a hairstyle that seemed to remember the Beatles in the distant 60s. Sitting with her legs crossed, she held a glass of peach fruit juice with her delicate but strong hands. He wore a simple light orange sweatshirt and a pair of shorts that showed off a pair of smooth, toned legs.

Next to her was Takitsubo Ruiko, a raven-haired girl that looked perpetually apathetic.  
**  
**And finally Mugino Shizuri, the oldest of the group.  
She was dressed in an elegant beige jagged knit that left the narrow shoulders and the tank top uncovered beneath it, apt to highlight her excellent and athletic fitness, formed after years of training as a mercenary, and the abundant breast, forbidden desire of many men, but belonging to a single person. The long legs were covered with black leggings that highlighted the soft and sensual thighs, together with the perfect shape of the buttocks, toned and firm.

" So ... how are things between you and Accelerator?" Kinuhata asked.

" Good. I don't think I can complain ... should there be any problems?" Mugino replied, shrugging disinterestedly. In fact, the aforementioned woman had been engaged to the most powerful esper of the city for at least four months.

"You've been together for a while, by now " Takitsubo broke in.

" So what?"

" Have you already had super-sex?" Kinuhata said.

The Level 5 nearly spat out her tea because of that sudden question.  
She swallowed the liquid and started coughing. "What the fuck are you talking about ?!"

" It's a super-normal question. You've been together for four months, after all"

"Me and Hamazura had our first time long ago. So yes, it's normal " Takistubo added.

Mugino contracted her eyebrows in a frown as intrigued as it was strange: " Wait ... you're telling me that you and that stupid Hamazura ..."

" Yes. And only three months after the beginning of our relationship."

" So, did you have super-sex, yes or no?"

The girl was definitely displaced. Of course, she could have simply said no, but her soul was too proud to deny the fact. In all her life she had never wanted to accept a single loss, and this argument was also a matter of victory or defeat.

Takitsubo, the most clumsy and apathetic of the group…had her first time before her.

That was unacceptable, so she decide to use one of the oldest but functional plans known to human memory: lying!

" Of course we've already done it!" she exclaimed, waving her hand contemptuously. " Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to meet the Number One soon. Kinuhata, you pay the bill"  
And having said that, she left the pub with an almost unnatural speed.

Certainly she had been displaced by that conversation, she didn't expect that topic. That, among all the possible things, they would have asked her something like that.  
Now ... what was she supposed to do? Continue with the lie? No, in the long run they would have find out the truth, and then she would have felt even more humiliated.

What she considered the only viable option began to take the girl's mind: seduce Accelerator and have sex with him.

But how to achieve such a goal? If there was one thing she had learned from the time they spent together, it was that Gakuen Toshi's Number One was anything but difficult to charm.  
But at least she had to try. After all, many couples went to bed together even after a month of being together!

Having reached this conclusion, she put her hand to her chin in deep contemplation, trying to come up with some seduction strategy.

Being a Level 5, and thus possessing a great tactical and scientific genius, she didn't need more than a few seconds to come up with subtle and complex plans that would help her get her boyfriend to bed.

The first thing to do was to call the albino and convince him to go out with her, and then ... well, that part was still a work in progress.

She took her Black Berry and called the teenager. It would have been difficult to convince him to go out, especially if he was in the company of the brat.

The phone rang and finally Accelerator answered: " Shizuri, what the fuck do you want?"

" Do you think this is the way to address a girl, Number One? Especially if this girl is your girlfriend?" she said coldly, marking the word "your".

" I had a busy and stressful morning, so tell me what you want and do it quickly"

" When do I ever find you in a good mood?" Mugino snorted, shrugging her shoulders. " Listen, I just I want to go out with you"

" When?"  
" What do you think? Now ..."  
" Now? I thought you were with your friends"  
" Yes, well, we had to separate and now I'm here alone. So I decided you will spend the day with me"  
" And since when do you decide for me ?!"

" Admit it, Number One, the brat is pulling you crazy and you need to leave that house. What better time than this? You can leave her to your guardians**. ** And then we both know you missed me" she added with a mischievous smile.

" Tch ...it's not that I miss you…but it would be nice to have some time away from the brat**.** All right, you won! Tell me where you are and I'll join you"

And, after almost twenty minutes of waiting, he arrived in front of Mugino, who greeted him with an unusual kiss on the lips.

The thing left the Esper a little surprised, because he knew that the girl couldn't stand the demonstrations of affection in public, and the thing was mutual. Even holding hands was strictly forbidden!

The situation was different only when the two were completely alone.  
Accelerator raised an eyebrow: "And this?"

" Mh? What, are you telling me that you don't like it anymore?" Mugino answered , with a soft voice.

" It's not that. I thought you couldn't stand it ... never mind. Then, what are we going to do?"

She put her finger on her chin: "I want ice cream. And you are coming with me!"

The boy didn't understand this unusual behavior, it was as if she had changed overnight. He decided not to pay too much attention to this strangeness, shrugged his shoulders and walked beside her.

They remained silent during the journey, and this was not a good sign. In general, the girl was very sophisticated in terms of clothing and certainly would have reproached the look of her companion: Long-sleeved T-shirt with a fiery skull printed surrounded by a perfect circle, clearly the Offspring logo, a very famous band over the years 90 to which he was rather fond of, torn jeans to highlight his long slender legs and black shoes. The white hair like the immaculate snow in winter was kept in disarray, and some rebel locks were going to cover the elegant red eyes, spent like two rubies.

All this was all too suspicious, and consequently every look the boy had in his figure was aimed at analyzing every minute detail of the situation.

Finally they arrived at the ice cream parlor, and bought two cones. One with pistachio for Accelerator and the fior di latte for Mugino.

And as during the outward journey, they remained completely silent. Out of the corner of his eye, the boy could observe the young woman intent on enjoying his purchase, in a rather… particular, not to say eccentric, way: he kept his eyes closed, as if in a deep state of meditation, and gently licked ice cream with small circular movements at the base and then at the tip.

The grip of his hand on the cone was firm, and from the expression on his face it was clear that he was enjoying his dessert with great pleasure. Meanwhile, he continued to wave the graceful tongue along the entire surface of the ice cream, moistening it just right and making it almost shine like a pearl under the warm rays of the sun.

Mugino opened her eyes, barely squinting them like a predatory panther, and looked at the esper with a mischievous look as she continued her work.

Faced with this spectacle, the Number One was visibly confused. It was obvious she wanted to get something,but he didn't care. Turning his head carelessly, he continued to eat his cake.

The Meltdowner couldn't believe that reaction, but she should have expected it. It was really an arduous task to seduce that boy and not because he was stupid or naïve - in fact, most likely he had grasped the hidden meaning of the gesture- but simply because he didn't care. His power to control the vectors caused his hormones to remain constantly off for many years, and consequently it was very difficult to arouse any emotion in him.

But this didn't discourage the girl, quite the contrary. She would have done anything to succeed in that mission, and this was just the first of numerous plans.

" I just remembered that I have to buy a new swimsuit. Take me to get one"  
" It doesn't seem to me that your current one is broken ..."  
" I need a new one. Don't you have any other swimsuits in the house besides your usual one?"  
**  
**" I'm not the kind of guy who like to swim " he said, waving his hand in order to underline his evident albinism.

In response, she grab him by the hand and, without adding a word, took him with her to the first women's clothing store.

And for Accelerator started the first real torture of every boyfriend began: to accompany his woman to go shopping.  
Tsuchimikado had already spoken to him, and he had always told him to be careful about these things, and that not even an indestructible being like him could survivesuch a torment.

At first, the Esper didn't really care about those words…but he was starting to see the truth in them. In that moment, he was living on his skin that weary waiting, standing in front of the dressing room, waiting for his girlfriend to come out. Even for someone like him, the minutes began to seem like centuries.

He crossed his thin arms to his chest, shrugging his shoulders and began drumming impatiently with his right foot.

**"Time is relative,"** Einstein said. And Accelerator was a prodigy boy, with an incalculable IQ, with a great knowledge of science... but for the first time, Einstein's relativity seemed to him just some kind of joke. "He never had to wait for his bitch out of the dressing room," he thought. "If he did, he would never have fired such bullshit. Why these things keep happening to me? What did I do wrong? Oh, yeah, I killed 10 000 innocent girls…shit".

He just wanted to leave, go home, lie on his bed and get a healthy sleep. Clearly he couldn't do it, otherwise Mugino would have killed him in unspeakable ways ... even with his vector shield!

* * *

**XXXX**

* * *

_"Sooner or later he will have to change his expression"_  
_"With this I will drive him crazy"_  
_"You son of a bitch, at least pretend to look at me!"  
_  
There were so many things that Mugino wanted to say and many more were those she thought.

It had taken her four months and many favors for the brats to shake that boy out of his slumber, and a good deal of sweet words and threats to convince him to leave the house more often and move those dry legs.

She hadn't dragged him away for a conversation, that was clear by now. She wanted to win a challenge, but there was more. She wanted to prove to that Level 5, the white demon, Accelerator…that he was human. Really human.

She was certainly not a saint, and God knows the cruel things she had done. She wasn't proud of it, and certainly could never have hoped for Frenda's forgiveness, who died by her hand.  
For this reason, she wanted not only to win the race, but to create new memories. Better memories ... with him.

She couldn't beat him in terms of strength, therefore, she had opted for a weapon that only women have and that usually turned men in soldiers ready to respond to their commands. Obviously that weapon was her body.

She knew she was one of the most beautiful girls in Academy City, she knew she was sensual and with all the curves in the right place, and the image reflected in the dressing room of that boutique was the only proof she needed.

The black pareo she was wearing at that moment accentuated her figure. The figure of an exaggerated beauty. Two swollen, firm, young breasts and a rosy skin, elastic and stretched over the muscles of the limbs, were brought out by the black bra, the fabric gently embraced the pink nipples and contained them without crushing them.

Smiling with satisfaction, Mugino turned around, holding the soles of her feet and arching them so as to balance herself on the tips of her fingers. The buttocks looked like marble, smooth and soft, yet they stood up, well sculpted and outlined, and the panty brushed past her without showing too much, but showing just enough to be sexy and provocative.

" I need juts one last thing"she chuckled with a slight grin on her thin lips.

Curling a corner of it, the meltdowner squeezed the silky edges of the extra veil between her slender fingers. She made a knot on the right side, making it fall for the most part outside the left thigh. Once the dressing was completed, she returned to observing the reflected image and, by personal habit, she leaned forward, resting his soft and gentle hands on the back of the chair.

The body curved, exposing the buttocks, and moved one leg in front of the other, smiling in a captivating way.

"Something is still missing ..." she muttered to herself.

She closed her eyelids for a moment, shaking the flowing hairs.

After that, she used long threads of a smooth and soft silk to collect them in a long, serpentine braid that framed her sharp, smiling face, lit by a mischievous smile.  
She took a lock between a thumb and a forefinger and turned it slowly, admiring in the mirror the hair that fell between her shoulder blades and the sides of her face.

" Here we go. Time to shine!"  
**  
**In the end, the velvety curtains that separated the dressing room from the rest of the store opened like the doors of Heaven.

Accelerator stopped, unable to utter words.

It was as if the boy was in front of a nymph, he was practically bewitched. He didn't even hear the girl's voice asking him what he thought about her dress.  
His red irises were squaring that sublime figure from head to foot. His attention was drawn to the sensual forms highlighted by that elegant bathroom set, and the pareo only accentuated everything. Especially the bra, which attracted the glance of the esper as a lantern with a moth.

While his eyes did nothing but lose themselves and behold of this vision, his mind brought him back to the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, who had recently read in a book: "Beauty is inexplicable, and everyone get lost in its contemplation ". It was as if Kant had elaborated this thought only for him, to describe his feelings in front of the Meltdowner.

The girl, realizing that the young man's mind was now lost in the darkness of the hormonal abyss, smiled victoriously.

She came up to him and put her arms around his neck, put her lips to his ear and whispered in a melodic tone: "So? Do not you hear me? What do you think of all this? You don't like it? If you want I can take it off ... come with me inside the dressing room"

He shook his head for a moment and then focused on her. He returned to reality, assumed his usual annoyed tone and snorted: "No ... no, thanks ..."

" Mmmh. Your mouth says no, but your eyes say, "_I want to fuck you until my penis breaks inside you and melts into a Barbie-style vagina_"" she said, not losing her mischievous smile and, at the same time, chuckling to her own joke. Joke he didn't take well at all ...

" Grrr ... buy that fucking swimsuit and let's go!"

And, having said that, he turned and walked away with an obvious blush all along his cheeks.

The victorious smile of the blackberry turned into a snarl of defeat. She was so close, she had almost succeeded. She knew that this wouldn't be an easy battle, so she decided that was time to use the heavy artillery.

She paid the bill and left the shop with her handbag on hand. Without hesitating, she grabbed Accelerator's arm.

" You know, it's been a while 'that I think about it and I have to tell you ... you're so dry skinny..." she said as she felt the skimpy bicep of the boy with her delicate hands.

" Excuse me?"  
" You got it right. To quote one of my favorite movie characters ... you look like a piece of amphibious organic matter commonly called "shit"".

The albino raised his eyebrow in a rather confused and - at the same time - annoyed frown: " Don't be ridiculous, my body is fine "

" You need exercise. Unarmed combat is necessary when you are in situations where you cannot use your powers. And we all know that you found yourself in similar situations ... and how they ended up"

" So what? I solved the problems related to my battery. I'm prepared"

" Well, who am I to criticize? If you're okay to stay below that guy who kicked your ass the first time ..." she replied, shrugging her shoulders.

He growled at that provocation and cursed himself internally for telling her about Kamijou Touma. He had to recognize that she was damn good at convincing people to do what she wanted ... she was almost like a Mafia godfather.

" Tch ... okay, bitch, you won. When and where?"

" Now ... at my house" she said, marking the last sentence with an almost melodic intonation.

With a hurry almost entirely inhuman, she took him to his home. Nor could it be called "home" ... it was a noble mansion. At first sight it recalled the Roman style of Nero's Domus Aurea. Clearly it was not comparable to the original, but the inspiration was obvious, synonymous of the enormous wealth of Mugino's Family.

Her private gym was very large and spacious, full of training equipment. In the center there was a modest ring, which was often used to host boxing matches to keep ITEM members in training. Accelerator also knew that all this combined business with pleasure, since Mugino was an avid fan of Rocky Balboa movies. He reluctantly remembered last month, when she forced him to see the whole saga together.

" Come on, get in the ring"

" And you? What are you going to do?"

" What do you think? I have to change my clothes. I certainly won't train you dressed like this ... or would you prefer me to change here in front of you? I wouldn't mind" she said, raising her red lips in a mischievous grin.

" Just…shut up and go."

* * *

**XXXX**

* * *

Several minutes later, the girl returned with a uniform made up of black shorts that highlighted the long, toned legs. The shirt of the same color was sleeveless and adherent so that it would allow the skin to breathe and to highlight her shapely breasts.

To top it all she had gathered her hair in a ponytail that fell elegantly down her back.

"You should change too, sweetheart. With that shirt and those jeans you'll be uncomfortable. Why don't you take them off?" she asked, pursing her lips in that classic smile of her.

" Tch ...what a pain..." he took off his shirt, letting his chest remain naked. He definitely had a lean but well-placed physique. He was clearly not muscular, but a sufficiently attentive eye could see small bumps of abdominal and pectoral muscles, proof that some basic exercise had already be done. Maybe all those fights with that Level 0 had finally pushed him to train a little.

" I'll keep my pants"

The girl, without losing her mischievous expression, had to bite her tongue. Probably another in her place would not have reacted in front of him, but she found his body ... almost sexy.

" Not bad, Number One. Did you work out to try to seduce me?" she asked him.

He didn't answer and just rolled his eyes in annoyance. She didn't waste any more time and started to explain the basics of her fight style, starting from the punch.

Accelerator tried to punch Mugino's open palm, and the girl noticed with extreme surprise and amazement that ... he was really weak. Instinctively she thought he was as poor as a girl ...then she remembered that she was one. Of course, she was much stronger than the average female, but she certainly expected him to be a little stronger than that.

She decided not to lose heart and calmly started to teach him at least the basics.  
He learned them quickly, nothing strange considering that his brain was almost superior to a supercomputer. Now it was time to implement the plan.

" Now that you know how to fight - relatively speaking, of course - how about a friendly match?"

" Are you serious?"

" Of course I am! What's the problem, Number One? Are you afraid to get your ass kicked by a girl?" she asked, pursing her lips in a grin.

They started the match, and obviously the Meltdowner was already in the lead. Her opponent's movements were slow and predictable, she didn't need anything to dodge his fists. She hadn't hit him yet, she didn't want to hurt him. She only touched him when he started getting closer.  
**  
**It was fun to see him getting nervous with each failed shot, but the more minutes passed, the more Accelerator was adapting ... and soon he would be dangerous.

His movements began to become more technical and faster, although the power of his punches remained low.

Mugino started to sweat a little because of this, and so she decided to play dirty. She grabbed his shoulders and, with her right foot, made him lose his balance and fall to the ground. She didn't hesitate, and immediately sat on him and hold him on the ground.

Accelerator found himself stretched out and immobilized, with the brunette above him smiling victoriously.

"I thought it was a boxing match ..." he said with a snort.

" Mh? I said I would teach you to fight, not to box. And in a fight, everything is allowed, honey**. **I'm afraid that it will be me, dear Number One, to undertake the dominant role of our relationship"

In response, the albino contracted his eyebrows in an annoyed frown, then twisted his lips in a grin and immediately acted. He put a lot of strength into his arms and, with the help of his pelvis muscles, reversed their respective positions. Now it was he who dominated. He didn't waste any more time and pressed his hands on her shoulders to keep her pinned to the ground.

" Checkmate, bitch. I win" he said, approaching his face.

Mugino smiled, captivating in front of that display of arrogance. He had made the mistake of bringing his face closer to her own, a mistake that would have cost him the victory. She leaned forward and placed her lips on his, grabbing his head to keep him still.

Accelerator remained incredulous in front of that gesture and had to loosen the grip he had on her. In doing so, he allowed his opponent to rotate her body again and bring the situation back to her advantage.

She smiled slyly and brought her mouth closer to his ear.

" Remarkable move, Number One. You really know how to get a girl excited. It had been so long since I had so much fun. Now what are you going to do? You don't want to jump on me again ... even if I wouldn't mind at all" she concluded by drawing circles on his boyfriend's chest with her long thin fingers.

He smiled amused at the challenge. " Believe me ... for the whole duration of our "fight" I've studied many ways to reverse our roles. I lack in physical strength, it's true, but my brain is superior to yours. I know exactly how to get out of this situation, but ... I should hurt you a lot. Give me one good reason not to do it"

Mugino became even more excited to hear him talk like that, like a ferocious tiger that waited for nothing but a distraction to be able to slaughter its prey. Even in moments of play and leisure, Accelerator never lost his swagger and cold blood. Itwas exactly what she liked about him.

The sexual tension that emanated from their training was palpable in the air. Their warm bodies united, the sweat dripping from their skin, mixing with each other and their breaths that clashed against one another like an erotic dance. The Meltdowner could hear it clearly from his look, his words and yes ... even from the strange bulge she felt in the boy's groin area. She was about to succeed in her plan!

She had a great desire to lay her lips on his with violence and passion. If she could, she would have torn both their clothes off and taken him right now, on that ring ... but she too was a predator, and wanted to continue the game a little more.

Slowly, she extended an arm forward, sliding her fingers over the boy's chest.

"I could think of a very good reason," she whispered with a knowing grin, making her fingers walk up to his pale lips, gently caressing them. Then she leaned forward even further, pushing her body even closer to his.  
"Or maybe a couple ..." she continued, blowing into his ear and pressing her breast against his chest.

The Esper's excitement grew even more. He couldn't help but observe the persuasive breast pressed against him, perceiving its extraordinary softness. Then he looked at her face and mirrored his blood irises in those of Shizuri.

" It seems a reasonable agreement" He replied with a grin.

He rested his hand on her neck, feeling her soft sweat-soaked hair and held her close to kiss him hard.  
Their mouths were about to cross, until ... the phone that Accelerator had leaned on the corner of the ring rang.

The boy had to get the girl down from above him to check, noting that it was Last Order that called him.

" Brat, what do you want?" he asked with bitterness and anger as he held the phone close to his ear. From the shrill screams of the little girl on the other side of the screen, Shizuri could infer that she had made another of her messes.

Accelerator snorted and closed the call. " Sorry, I have to go"

" What?! But we haven't finished yet!"  
" The brat has made a mess at home, I must return immediately. As soon as I get back I'll pull her neck like a chicken"

He couldn't help but notice the sad and disconsolate look on Shizuri's face. It was clear that she had not taken the news very well.

So the boy braced himself and, before leaving, printed a kiss on the cheek promising that they would see each other in the evening to have dinner at his house.

The brunette waited for him to come out of the gym, close the door and ... her reaction was not long in coming. Powerful green rays sprang from her body and hit the equipment, melting them. She got up and materialized a sword made of neutrinos in both hands, and with it she began to pierce the walls, the floor and everything that was within range.

" Stupid fucking little brat!" she growled, venting all her anger with sudden surges. " Fucking shitty kid! Son of a bitch! Fuck her face! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fucuuuuuck! I'll kill that ... that little bitch! I'm going to take that shitty head off and put it on a fucking lamp in my fucking living room! FUUUUUUCK!"

Finally, She inhaled and exhaled, taking a deep breath. She contracted the diaphragm to get all the negative emotions out of her body.

"Ok ok, I'm calm ... I'm fine"

That was what was said in the mind, to keep control. It was not a real problem, she just had to go to his house that evening, the plan was still feasible. Accelerator had told her that the two women would go out together with Last Order, so there was still a possibility.

Kami was her witness ... before the rooster sang three times, she would have sex with Gakuen Toshi's first ranked!

* * *

**XXXX**

* * *

**BOOM!**

**I hoped you like it. And good the last episode of Railgun was ?!**


End file.
